Generate an explanation for the given claim using the provided supporting material from the paragraph. Please consider the following points while generating an output. 1) The claim will always have supporting proof in the paragraph, and the paragraph will have a clear point of view supporting the claim. 2) There can be instances where direct correlation to the claim is not available. Make use of the sentences in the paragraph to provide a corresponding output supporting the claim. 3) The explanation should be at least one and at most twelve sentences long.
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Question: Paragraph: The documentary builds on Harry’s work on mental health issues, which included work with brother Prince William and his wife Kate in their Heads Together campaign. Harry says the series will share “global stories of unparalleled human spirit fighting back from the darkest places” and the “opportunity for us to understand ourselves and those around us better.” Earlier this year, Apple enlisted Winfrey, together with Jennifer Aniston and Steven Spielberg, to try to overcome the TV and movie streaming service business dominated by Netflix and Amazon. The service, dubbed Apple TV Plus, will feature Apple’s original shows and movies. Claim: Prince Harry, Oprah work on mental health program for Apple.

Answer: Kensington Palace says Britain’s Prince Harry will be partnering with Oprah Winfrey to create a documentary series on mental health for Apple’s new streaming service.


Question: Paragraph: The story focused on costs, including information about the relative cost comparison between what are called “open” surgeries and those done laparoscopically (with a thin flexible tube.) The release summarized how minimally invasive techniques reduced the length of hospital stay and complication rates for patients. “Researchers also found that, on average, the minimally invasive approach reduced length of hospital stay by approximately two days, and open operations were more than $9,000 more expensive than minimally invasive procedures. The researchers also found that laparoscopic procedures were better for patients in terms of fewer complications. Laparoscopic anti-reflux operations were less likely to result in postoperative blood clots, wound complications, surgical site infection, esophageal perforation (which can be life threatening), bleeding, cardiac failure, and death.” We rate this, but just barely, for citing cost differences between the two types of surgery and the average reduction in the number of days a patient must remain hospitalized. We do wish the release had delved more into the specifics of reduced complications. How common were the surgical complications in each surgical method? The release names complications associated with both types of surgery for GERD, while stating that patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures encountered fewer of them: “postoperative blood clots, wound complications, surgical site infection, esophageal perforation (which can be life threatening), bleeding, cardiac failure, and death.” The news release gave details about how the study examined records of about 75,000 patients from 1,000 hospitals to compare outcomes in the records for open vs. the minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries. That’s all to the good. However, the news release didn’t mention any of the study’s limitations. The key one is that this is a retrospective, observational review of records that isn’t capable of supporting cause and effect statements such as the minimally invasive approach “reduced length of hospital stay by approximately two days.” Nor should this kind of evidence be used as the basis for statements such as laparoscopic procedures “were better for patients” and “should be the standard of care.” Patients receiving open vs. laparascopic procedures could differ in unknown ways, which is why the superiority of one approach over the other should ideally be established by a prospective, randomized controlled trial. There were other limitations outlined in the journal article that were not mentioned in the release. Because the NIS database doesn’t link to hospital records, researchers weren’t able to track and measure outcomes “including complications, readmission, and mortality, occurring after the initial hospital discharge.” The researchers were also unable to determine which open surgeries were “re-dos” of previous surgeries. The potential for errors in coding which procedures were used was also cited as a possible limitation. There was no disease mongering. The release also provided useful context on the prevalence of GERD and further specified that smaller group of patients, from the many heartburn suffers, might be candidates for the surgery. Well done. The release does not list any funding source for the research and the published study notes that authors had “nothing to disclose.”  We’ll rate this not applicable since this is an examination of existing data, and there may have been no additional outside funding. The news release does a good job here. It compares different surgical methods and it also names alternatives for treating GERD such as medications and changes in the diet. It also states which group of patients the surgery is aimed at: “Anti-reflux surgery should be considered in patients who do not achieve complete control of their symptoms [regurgitation or cough] with medications; who do not want to take medications for the rest of their lives; or who experience complications of medical therapy.” It’s clear from the release that both methods of surgery have been widely available nationally and the outcomes of 75,000 surgeries were tracked by the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. The release also notes that “urban academic or teaching hospitals” perform laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery more often than “open” procedures, 54.4 percent versus 45.6 percent. And it recommends that anti-reflux surgery should be performed laparoscopically in specialized centers. The news release was not about a novel procedure and made no claim of novelty. However, this isn’t the first study to examine laparoscopic vs. open surgery. For example, the British Journal of Surgery published results of a randomized trial of the two methods and the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology published research on long-term outcomes following laparoscopic and open procedures for GERD. We did not observe any unjustifiable language. Claim: Laparoscopic anti-reflux operation for GERD linked to fewer postoperative complications

Answer: A new study by the American College of Surgeons, a professional organization, compared records for 75,000 patients who underwent surgery for GERD, or gastrointestinal esophageal reflux disease. The study looked at two different surgical procedures and found the less invasive one seemed equally effective, but kept patients in the hospital a shorter time with fewer complications. The news release did a good job of discussing surgical alternatives and costs, which were estimated to be $9,000 lower for the less invasive laparoscopic procedure. The release would have been better had it spelled out some of the study limitations, the key one being that a retrospective, observational review of hospital records — as this study was — isn’t capable of supporting the cause and effect statements sprinkled throughout the release. Millions of Americans complain of occasional heartburn, sometimes called a burning sensation in the throat from food coming back up from the stomach. But some estimates are that about 20 percent of US adults fit the definition of GERD, which means they suffer symptoms at least every week. If patients consider a surgical fix, this study shows that a less-invasive procedure could reduce their complications and shorten their hospital stay. It’s hard to pin down stats on GERD prevalence. A 2014 review of 16 epidemiological studies of GERD prevalence published in the journal Gut suggest GERD prevalence ranges from “18.1%-27.8% in North America, 8.8%-25.9% in Europe, 2.5%-7.8% in East Asia, 8.7%-33.1% in the Middle East, 11.6% in Australia and 23.0% in South America.”


Question: Paragraph: A look at the top 10 stories of 2019: EDWARDS RE-ELECTION Louisiana voters reelected Edwards to a second term despite President Trump’s efforts  to return the seat to the GOP. The president led three anti-Edwards rallies in Louisiana, but Edwards cobbled together enough cross-party support to defeat businessman Eddie Rispone. Edwards said his top priorities for his second term are new money for early childhood education and public colleges, and pay raises for K-12 teachers. HARD ROCK HOTEL COLLAPSE The Hard Rock Hotel under construction at the edge of the historic French Quarter in New Orleans partially collapsed  Oct. 12, killing three workers and crippling nearby businesses. Explosions toppled two cranes that loomed precariously for days. Plans to implode the building were changed to shoring up what is left of the building for further investigation and recovery of two bodies, followed by demolition. SUPER BOWL PROTEST Protests and lawsuits followed one of the most glaring officiating errors in NFL history — the non-call of pass interference and helmet-to-helmet contact penalties committed by a Los Angeles Rams defensive back late in the fourth quarter of an NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints lost the game 26-23 in overtime and with it a chance at winning the Super Bowl. Saints fans responded with lawsuits and Saints-themed walking parades on Super Bowl  day. ACADIANA CHURCH FIRES Arson destroyed three historic black churches  in spring 2019; a 21-year-old man is awaiting trial. All three churches were empty and nobody was injured. The governor called the arson a reminder “of a very dark past of intimidation and fear.” A crowdfunding campaign raised more than $2.1 million to restore St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre and Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church and Greater Union Baptist Church, both in Opelousas. ABORTION-LOUISIANA Louisiana joined conservative states across the nation with laws challenging the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationally. One, a so-called “heartbeat law,”  prohibits abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected, often before many women realize they are pregnant. Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio have enacted similar laws; they all are being challenged. Louisiana’s law would take effect only if a federal appeals court upholds one in neighboring Mississippi. MEDICAL MARIJUANA In August, Louisiana became the first Deep South state — and one of more than 30 states nationwide — to dispense medical marijuana. The only therapeutic cannabis currently available is a flavored liquid. One bottle can range from about $90 to $220, depending on concentration and pharmacy. About 3,500 people have participated so far. NEW ORLEANS’ NEW AIRPORT New Orleans got a new airport in 2019, three years after construction began, replacing one built in 1959. The $1.3 billion Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport terminal features music venues, rooms for parents to bring small children and many charging stations for electronic devices. The airport also offers a limited number of “guest passes” so people without boarding passes may say goodbye, eat, drink and shop in the concourses. More than 40 concessions include two dozen restaurants ranging from Chick-fil-A to Emeril’s Table. HIGH RIVER-SPILLWAY OPENS TWICE The Mississippi River was so high for so long that the Army Corps of Engineers opened a flood control structure above New Orleans for an unprecedented second time in one year. Fed by rains and melting snows in the Midwest, high water poured through the Bonnet Carré Spillway  for 44 days from February into April, and 79 days starting May 10. The fresh water went through normally brackish Lake Pontchartrain into the Mississippi Sound, endangering fisheries and marine life. CYBERSECURITY ATTACKS Ransomware and other cyberattacks  disrupted state agencies, local school districts and the city of New Orleans. One closed Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles for a week, damaging 10% of the state’s computer servers. Gov. Edwards called the attack “largely unsuccessful” because data wasn’t lost and Louisiana didn’t pay a ransom. He declared an emergency in July as four public school districts were attacked and some networks infected with malware or ransomware. In November, a cyberattack triggered a shutdown of New Orleans’ city government computers. No data was held for ransom. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said about 400 servers were hit and 4,000 computers would be scrubbed as a precaution. Louisiana is establishing a cybersecurity center in Baton Rouge to analyze hacking threats and bolster information sharing among state and federal agencies, industry experts and academics. NOTABLE DEATHS The state mourned several notable figures including Louisiana’s first elected female governor, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, who served from 2004 to 2008. She was 76 and died of melanoma. Novelist Ernest J. Gaines, whose poor childhood on a small Louisiana plantation germinated stories of black struggles that grew into universal tales of grace and beauty, died at 86. New Orleans chef Leah Chase, who fed generations of New Orleanians and tourists alike at Dooky Chase’s restaurant, died at 96. Art Neville, who performed with his siblings in The Neville Brothers band and founded the groundbreaking funk group The Meters, died at 81. Dave Bartholomew, who with Fats Domino co-wrote and produced such classics as “Ain’t That a Shame” and ”I’m Walkin’” died at 100. New Orleans singer and piano player John Rebennack  Jr. — better known as Dr. John — who blended black and white musical styles with a gravelly bayou drawl died at 77. Claim: Edwards reelected, black churches torched among top stories.

Answer:
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards heads into the new year as the nation’s only Democratic governor representing the Deep South after a bruising victory over a Trump-backed opponent. This year also saw residents legally buying medical marijuana, Saints fans protesting a blown call that ultimately kept the team out of the Super Bowl and fires that destroyed several black churches.