TASK DEFINITION: Given a paragraph and a claim, classify it this way: If the claim contradicts the evidence present in the paragraph, classify the claim as '0'. If the claim has multiple supporting *AND* contradicting evidences, classify the claim as '1'. If the claim has supporting evidence and the paragraph is in overall favor of the claim, then classify the claim as '2'.
PROBLEM: Paragraph: The state Department of Environmental Conservation says an investigation determined the geese died of the fungal disease Aspergillosis, caused by eating moldy grain or bread. Three dozen Canada geese were found dead in a pond at the Malone Recreation Park in Franklin County near the Canadian border. State wildlife staff in Albany tested the dead birds. The state agency is asking the public not to feed waterfowl to help prevent the fungal disease or cause poor nutrition, delayed migration and other problems. Officials are also asking farmers to dispose of moldy grain and silage by burying it rather than spreading it over fields. Claim: Moldy bread or grain blamed for Canada geese deaths.

SOLUTION: 2

PROBLEM: Paragraph: The lawsuit brought by Terry Leavitt in Alameda Superior Court in Oakland is the first of over a dozen J&J talc cases scheduled for trial in 2019. The company is facing some 11,700 lawsuits over the safety of talc in its products. Leavitt's lawyer, Joseph Satterley, accused J&J in his opening statement of knowingly selling a dangerous product, according to an online broadcast by Courtroom View Network. "The evidence will show that J&J knew about the asbestos risk and they continued to sell the product, giving consumers no opportunity to protect themselves," he said. A lawyer for co-defendant Imerys Talc America, a unit of French Imerys SA (IMTP.PA), told the jury the evidence would show there is no asbestos in its talc and that Leavitt's disease was not caused by its product. A lawyer for J&J will make his opening remarks on Tuesday. "Our talc is safe and does not contain asbestos. For decades, Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder has repeatedly been tested and been found not to contain asbestos," the company said in response to a request for comment on Monday. J&J and Imerys have argued in court that decades of studies have shown their products to be safe and asbestos-free. Leavitt's is the first talc case to go to trial since Reuters on Dec. 14 published a special report detailing internal J&J documents showing talc in the company's raw and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos from the 1970s into the early 2000s. The report prompted a stock selloff on fears of J&J's liability. Shares on Monday closed at $127.01, 14 percent below their Dec. 13 value. While earlier talc lawsuits alleged talc itself causes ovarian cancer, plaintiffs' lawyers have more recently focused on arguing that asbestos contamination in talc caused mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Leavitt's case is being tried by the same team of lawyers, including Satterley, who in April 2018 won a $117 million award by a New Jersey jury for a man who blamed his mesothelioma on J&J's cosmetic talc. That verdict is under appeal. In 11 cases so far alleging asbestos contamination in talc, three resulted in wins for plaintiffs, awarding damages as high as $4.69 billion in a July 2018 multi-plaintiff ovarian cancer verdict. J&J won three other cases and another five ended in hung juries. J&J has appealed all of the plaintiff verdicts, and the company said it is confident the verdicts would be overturned on appeal. Leavitt was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2017. She was born in the Philippines and claims she was exposed to J&J cosmetic talc that originated from South Korea mines during the first two years of her life before her parents moved back to the United States in 1968, Satterley said on Monday. He said testing of Asian talc samples from the 1960s and 1970s by his own expert would show Korean-mined talc tested positive for asbestos fibers, as has talc from U.S. sources. J&J in court filings in the Leavitt case said that fibers found in the Korean talc or any of its other cosmetic talc could not be classified as asbestos and referred to them as non-asbestos forms that its experts say are harmless. Geologically, some asbestos can occur as "non-asbestiform" rocks. Both forms often occur together and in talc deposits. The company in its Monday statement did not specifically address the allegations surrounding the South Korean mine. Claim: Latest trial in J&J talc litigations gets under way in California.

SOLUTION: 2

PROBLEM: Paragraph: There is also the revival of the humble foam roller, which experts say, like old-time push-ups, squats and planks, has never been more popular. Anita Golden, fitness manager at a Crunch gym in New York City, said she'll be giving clients a foam roller called the GRID. "We've always had foam rollers in the club but now more people are using them as a way to ease post-workout muscles, prevent injuries and exercise the core," Golden said. When it comes to big-ticket items, Colleen Logan of Icon Health and Fitness, which manufactures a number of fitness brands, said the treadmill remains the most popular gift. "Treadmills continue to lead the industry in terms of home fitness purchases," said Logan. They account for about 57 percent of fitness purchases, while elliptical trainers and stationary bicycles are a distant second and third place at about 8 percent each. The average home treadmill costs about $700, said Logan, but the technology revolution has transformed even this stalwart at the high end. The ultimate splurge, at $4,000, she said, is the Boston Marathon Treadmill, which allows users to adjust speed in 1/10 of a mile per hour increments without touching the console. It also lets users run a virtual Boston Marathon. For people on a smaller budget, there is the iFit app that lets the iPhone capture a favorite vacation run or bike ride in Hawaii, store it in data centers all over the world which collectively are referred to as the "cloud," and download it to an iFit-enabled treadmill at home. "You'll view the exact route and experience the same terrain again," Logan explained. Devices, gadgets and apps proliferate as tech-savvy fitness becomes more accessible, according to Jessica Matthews of the American Council on Exercise (ACE). "There's a lot of interest in on-body monitoring devices as ways to motivate and track progress," she said. "They run the gamut from basic devices to track hours, steps, and caloric expenditure to full-body tracking." Nike+ Sportsband has a series of small lights on the wrist band that change from red to green as the runner nears his goal, while the BodyMedia FIT Armband tracks everything from the number of calories burned to the quality and quantity of sleep. ACE also studied fitness DVDs released for the holidays. "We evaluated them for quality of instruction, safety, effectiveness and design of workout," Matthews said. Among the best were "Amy Dixon's Breathless Body Vol.2: The Edge." Matthews called it a challenging cardio workout best suited to those on your list with "an established base of fitness." "Jessica Smith's 10 Pounds Down Better Body Blast" also got a thumbs up for its well-rounded routine and clarity of instruction. For people seeking a mind-body approach, Matthews praised "STOTT Pilates Intense Body Blast: Pilates Interval Training: Level I," which she said is accessible for someone new to fitness. "They do a great job queuing movements and creating flow," she said. Richard Cotton of the American College of Sports Medicine suggests giving the fitness novice the gift of a personal trainer. "The best is human assistance," he said. "Another way is a beginner group exercise class." He also suggests a gift certificate for shoes at a running store equipped with a treadmill. "You need shoes that fit your gait," he said. "People should always get their gait analyzed." Golden likes to cite the law of reciprocity to the personal trainers she manages. "I always tell them to get their clients something," she said. And what does the personal trainer want for Christmas? "I like the roller, or a new jump rope," she said. "Fitness people aren't hard to please. Get me a new yoga mat and I'm happy." Claim: Holiday fitness gifts trend from high-tech to basic.

SOLUTION:
2