TASK DEFINITION: Given a paragraph, generate a claim that is supported by the given paragraph. 1) The claim must contain information from within the paragraph. 2) A sentence within the paragraph can be used as a claim. 3) The claim should not have contradictions within the paragraph. 4) The claim should be at most one sentence long.
PROBLEM: The system preserves the most amount of natural bone, making it a less invasive way to treat diseased joints. Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Stryker, one of the top makers of reconstructive implants, said its system, called Triathlon PKR, is beneficial because it allows surgeons to provide personalized solutions by only shaving off diseased parts of the knee rather than replacing larger parts of it, or the entire knee joint. Partial knee resurfacing requires less operating time than total keep replacements and there is a shorter recovery period, with some patients leaving the hospital in less than 24 hours, Stryker said. Because less bone is removed, there is often less trauma to soft tissue during surgery, which may leave the patient with a more natural feeling knee than with a total knee replacement, the company added.

SOLUTION: Stryker launches partial knee resurfacing systems.

PROBLEM: Since 2000, 34 of Iowa's 118 community hospitals have closed their birthing units, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. There have been two so far this year, down from eight closures last year the most in a single year. Most of those closures have happened at smaller facilities than the 49-bed Marshalltown hospital. Iowa's aging population is a key reason for these closures, Dr. Stephen Hunter, vice chairman of obstetrics at the University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics in Iowa City, told Iowa Public Radio . "Some rural counties have lost as many as 40 percent of their population in the last three decades," Hunter said. "That's a lot of people gone, unfortunately. That leaves a system that's not adequate for those that remain in those counties." Hunter said the state is also facing a severe shortage of OB/GYNs and family practice doctors who practice obstetrics. And, he said, Medicaid reimbursements are so low for obstetrics that hospitals can't support the service. According to figures from the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Medicaid reimbursed it about one-third of what commercial insurance plans did for services such as ultrasounds and deliveries last year. Competition from bigger hospitals in bigger cities presents a business challenge, too. "There simply aren't enough women choosing to deliver locally," UnityPoint Health President Jenni Friedly said. "This is a problem that has been going on for a long time. . There are enough women becoming pregnant, but they are going elsewhere to deliver. It's clear OB/GYN patients are already selecting Ames and Des Moines for their care." Stephanie Trusty, a nurse who tracks birthing trends for the state, told the Marshalltown Times-Republican that "some of these birthing units are beautiful. They're like a four-star hotel." But does the loss of birthing units at the smaller hospitals and consolidation of birthing services affect health outcomes? A 2017 University of Minnesota study said the loss of labor and delivery units in smaller, more remote counties is linked with a decrease in prenatal care and increase in out-of-hospital and preterm births. The Iowa Public Health Department and the University of Iowa are keeping watch for any such problems, but so far have not seen any sizable incidence, Trusty said. Hansen Family Hospital CEO Doug Morse in Iowa Falls told Iowa Public Radio that hospital officials decided labor and delivery care were too expensive to continue in the aging, rural community with a declining birth rate. After three months of public meetings, Morse said, hospital officials opted to use half the money they would save to turn the unit into a mental health program for seniors. "It really did become fairly clear that people recognize that this wasn't necessarily ... delivering babies isn't necessarily a service that matches an elderly population," he said. The closing of the birth unit at the Iowa Falls hospital forced Jessica Sheridan to change her plans to have her baby born there, just five minutes from her home. She established relationships with doctors in Ames, an hour away, where her daughter was delivered in mid-December. "We were lucky. It was nice weather," Sheridan said.

SOLUTION: Costs forcing some hospitals to stop delivering babies.

PROBLEM: The order targets vape pens, vape cartridges, aerosol products, and inhalers that use oil-based vaping materials. It doesn't apply to medical marijuana vaping devices designed for marijuana flower, which don't use oil-based materials. The commission is also asking testing labs if they can check for vitamin E acetate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified vitamin E as a culprit in vaping-associated lung injuries. The labs currently test for contaminants like heavy metals. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Douglas Wilkins had ruled last week that marijuana cultivated for medical use, including oil-based vaping materials, must be exempted from Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's four-month ban on vaping materials starting Tuesday unless the cannabis commission took action since the commission is the single state entity authorized to regulate marijuana. Tuesday's action by the commission continues the ban for oil-based vaping materials for medical use. The vaping industry is also challenging the broader ban in court. Shops caught selling vaping materials during the ban face fines of up to $1,000 per offense. There is no prohibition against individuals owning or using vaping products. The industry has argued the ban will destroy the state's $331 million nicotine vapor products industry and irreparably harm local businesses. Baker issued the emergency ban in September in response to lung illnesses attributed to use of e-cigarette products. State health officials last week announced that a third state resident died from a vaping-related lung illness. The state Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that a man in his 50s from Worcester County died, after telling officials he vaped both nicotine and the marijuana compound THC. Officials say more than 200 suspected cases of vaping-associated lung injury have been reported to the health department since September. The action by the cannabis commission comes as state lawmakers prepare to debate a bill that would ban flavored vaping and tobacco products, including menthol and mint flavors. Lawmakers argue that the flavored products are meant to entice young teens into smoking. Anti-smoking activists praised the Massachusetts House for taking up the measure. "Ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including mint and menthol, is smart public health policy and will prevent thousands of kids in Massachusetts from becoming enticed into a lifetime of addiction," said Kevin O'Flaherty from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Some convenience store owners oppose the ban on menthol cigarettes and have pressed lawmakers to eliminate that portion of the bill. House lawmakers plan to debate the measure on Wednesday.

SOLUTION:
Commission's order supports ban on marijuana vaping products.