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Twitter CEO promises to make it easier to advertise on the site
 Twitter's chief executive Jack Dorsey has promised to make it easier for advertisers to run campaigns on the platform, admitting that is has been too “complicated” for brands to use, and lacked measurement capabilities in the past.

Speaking on stage at Dmexco on Wednesday, 13 September, Twitter’s top executive told WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell that Twitter plans to streamline how brands buy ads within its walls, as well as making it easier for them to see where their investment is actually going.

“We have a really strong business in advertising... Our focus is on two things: one, we need to simplify it and differentiate it, it’s been a little bit too complicated for our advertisers to use in the past,” he said.

In response to Sorrell’s suggestion that buying ads on Twitter was a “clunky” experience, Dorsey conceded: “Every organisation is clunky and messy, so we can certainly focus more and we can certainly make it better for [clients].”

He reiterated that advertisers must be able to trust the dollars they spend with Twitter are going to yield ROI. “Priority number two is prove that it works. We have not focused enough on measurement and proving that it works so that is a big focus for us,” he noted.

His comments come amid attempts from Twitter to improve the measurement it offers to advertisers, as the wider digital ecosystem comes under increasing pressure to prove ROI worth to the ad industry's decision makers.

Just last month, Twitter’s publishing platform MoPub unveiled a series of improved measurement assurances to brands across areas like viewability, etc. Recently, the company has also inked a deal with Dunnhumby to offer more assurances to FMCG advertisers around ROI, as well as striking similar accords with measurement partners Moat and IAS.

WPP’s agency roster – which works with some of the world’s biggest brands including Unilever and Coca-Cola – collectively spent around $240m on Twitter in 2015, a figure which rose to $300m last year, but one Sorrell noted is going to be “pretty flat” by the time 2017 is out. By comparison, Sorrell said WPP will spend a combined $8.3bn with the Google and Facebook (the “two elephants”) this year.

Earlier this year Twitter said it was on course to become accredited by the Media Ratings Council (MRC), with Dorsey asserting that it wanted advertisers to view the platform as the "gold standard" for third-party measurement.

This strategy looks to differentiate Twitter in a space plagued by measurement woes, and amid concern from big advertisers that they have overspent on digital. A recent World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) study found that 63% of marketers have said they are now only investing in viewable impressions that adhere to industry standards, highlighting the urgency for platforms to ensure they are meeting such client demands.

Other topics of discussion during the chat between the two leaders included President Trump's impact on Twitter's bottom line - with Dorsey reacting cynically to suggestions that the commander in chief was worth $2bn to the platform - and Amazon's role in the changing media landscape.

When asked about Amazon snapping up the rights to NFL's Thursday night games, which were previously held by Twitter, Dorsey hinted that despite signing a slew of live deals of late with the likes of Bloomberg and BuzzFeed, Twitter wasn't about to put all of its eggs in one basket with real-time deals.

“We can’t just optimise for these live experiences, we have to optimise for asynchronous, because only a very small market can see something live, but the whole world can see it after it happened.

"Our job is to make sure we show users what matters the most within that stream, and that’s what we’re doing now – continuing to focus on what people thought, but also what mattered within that stream – like what were the highlights and what they need to see.”

Output: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has promised to make advertising on the site easier, admitting that it has been too difficult in the past. Dorsey told an audience this week that the platform was planning improvements to streamline the process for buying ads, as well as to provide assurances to brands that it provides value for money through more effective measurement. Leading ad agency WPP spent just $300m on Twitter in 2016, compared to $8.3bn on Google and Facebook, and clients are increasingly seeking greater assurances of the effectiveness of their spending.


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ICO investors at risk of losing all their money: FCA
 Britain's financial watchdog warned consumers they should be prepared to lose all the money they might invest in so-called Initial Coin Offerings.

In a consumer warning issued on Tuesday, and just over a week after China had declared them outright illegal, the Financial Conduct Authority labelled ICOs as "very high-risk, speculative investments".

ICOs are a mix between 'crowd-funding' and 'crypto-currencies', allowing issuers to raise funds - in the form of actual crypt-currencies such as Bitcoins or Ether - digitally from the public using in exchange for tokens or vouchers which either concede a share in the issuer, a right to services from the issuer or, sometimes, apparently nothing at all.

One ought only to invest in an ICO if they are an "experienced investor, confident in the quality of the ICO project itself (e.g. business plan, technology, people involved) and prepared to lose [their] entire stake," the FCA said.

Even then, potential investors were assuming multiple risks, the FCA said, including the alck of regulation, no investor protection, price volatility and the potential for fraud to name but just a few.

The warning followed a ban on ICOs from Beijing on 4 September and according to some reports was set to be followed by a blanket prohibition against domestic trading platforms in the country that use Bitcoin or other digital currencies.

On 2 September, Bitcoin prices had hit the $5,000 mark, versus the barely $624 which they cost just one year ago.

According to Coindesk, as of 1538 BST Bitcoins were trading 1.18% higher to $4,238.36.

Output: Britain's financial watchdog has warned investors they risk losing all of their money in ICOs. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a statement on Tuesday saying people should only invest in digital coin sales if they are experienced investors, are confident in the quality of the project, and are prepared to lose their entire stake. The warning comes after the Chinese government acted to outlaw ICOs altogether earlier this month, in a move which may be followed by the banning of digital currency exchanges. Risks highlighted by the FCA include lack of regulation, price volatility and potential fraud.


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Instagram monetises Stories with extra services for advertisers
 Instagram is ready to turn the success of its Stories feature into more money.

The Facebook unit is integrating Stories with its full-screen Canvas ad format, making it easier to run cross-channel campaigns. It's also launching an uploading tool, so businesses can turn their organic stories into ads.

Brands can use camera features, like face filters, boomerangs and drawing tools, to create a piece of media, then repurpose it as an ad.

Additionally, Instagram will now allow Stories to be added to Facebook, Instagram and Audience Network campaigns through so-called “placement optimization.”

It is in Facebook’s interest for brand partners to run campaigns across its various properties. Yet, the social giant insists that it also benefits brands. To prove it, Facebook shared some metrics from a campaign recently run by Procter and Gamble’s SK-II brand to raise awareness around its Genoptics beauty product.

advertisement advertisement

P&G ran a split-test to see how Instagram Stories performed in conjunction with its feed campaigns across Facebook and Instagram.

Compared to running on Instagram and Facebook alone, Genoptics achieved a brand lift of 13 points, along with 30% reach among its target audience of females in Japan, aged 18-54.

A year after its debut, Instagram is having great success with its Stories feature. The Facebook unit is especially enthused about Stories’ popularity among younger users.

About a year after its debut, Instagram is thrilled with the success of Stories.

According to internal figures, users under 25 spend more than 32 minutes a day, on average, on Instagram. Those age 25+ spend more than 24 minutes a day, according to just-released internal figures.

Instagram attributes Stories’ strong showing, in part, to near constant updates and new tools.

Brands are increasingly leaning into Stories, too. In the last month, more than 50% of businesses on Instagram posted a Story. Suggesting strong engagement, Instagram also notes that 20% of organic stories from businesses elicit at least one direct message.

Output: Instagram is looking to increase revenue from its Stories feature by integrating its full-screen Canvas ad format into it, as well as adding an uploading tool. Brands can use features such as face filters, boomerangs and drawing tools to create ads. Instagram is also allowing Stories to be added to Facebook, Instagram and Audience Network campaigns. Brands are using the Stories feature more and more; in the past month alone, more than 50% of businesses on Instagram posted a story.


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NASA commissions next stage of robotic satellite assembly project
 The National Air & Space Administration awarded the next phase of funding to Space Systems Loral, a spacecraft systems provider, modifying their contract to continue work on the Dragonfly on-orbit satellite assembly program.

The partnership between NASA and SSL intends to create a semiautonomous robotic system to assemble satellites in space. The software to run the program was designed to work with current spacecraft equipment and platforms.

“NASA relies on commercial innovation as exemplified by the Dragonfly team,” NASA Headquarters TDM program executive Trudy Kortes said in a press release. “Transformative technologies such as these will, in time, lead to more affordable, safer human access to space and more efficient, longer-lasting satellites, probes and other space hardware. Today our future in space looks brighter and more robust than ever.”

NASA, SSL and fellow partners MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. and Tethers Unlimited recently performed a successful ground demonstration of the Dragonfly project, including its ultra-light robotics system and command and control software. The next step in the project is a flight demonstration.

“SSL has a history as an early adopter of innovative technologies that improve satellite performance,” SSL group president Dario Zamarian said in the statement. “Our work with NASA to develop next-generation robotic assembly on orbit has the potential to change the way satellites are built and launched and will also be important for future space architectures that support exploration and deep space missions. We are pleased to have NASA’s continued support of this important work, which is critical to our nation’s leadership in space.”

NASA originally selected SSL for the multi-million dollar contract in December 2015 as part of its Tipping Point initiative aimed at working with private companies and other industry players to advance the use of robotics in space exploration. The original contract was to fund SSL’s Dragonfly study to achieve a ground demonstration.

Output: Space Systems Loral (SSL), a US spacecraft systems provider, has been awarded their next stage of funding by The National Air & Space Administration (NASA). While the initial contract set out to achieve a ground demonstration, NASA and SSL now plan to create semi-autonomous robotic systems capable of assembling satellites in space. "Today our future in space looks brighter and more robust than ever", said Trudy Kortes, NASA program executive.


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LLamasoft to deliver medical supplies to third world by drone
 Ann Arbor-based LLamasoft has partnered with Zipline, a company whose autonomous drones deliver medical supplies to remote locations, to optimize drone usage in public health supply chain applications.

Zipline, which is based in Half Moon Bay, Calif., has already been using drones to deliver medical supplies in Rwanda and is now expanding its services into Tanzania. LLamasoft's Global Impact Team has worked with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Medical Stores Department on supply chain projects to optimize the ministry's transportation routes for nearly four years.

"We've been helping the ministries of health answer questions like how many warehouses they need, where they need to put them, [and] how to ensure medicines are in stock at health facilities," says Sid Rupani, regional director for LLamasoft IMEA. "We examine transportation routes, the frequencies of deliveries, the capacities of the trucks, and all these other quantitative questions about how to set up the supply chain."

Rupani says he began talking to Zipline founders a couple years ago. He thought the time for a partnership was ripe because Zipline already had supply-chain expertise, and because drone technology was becoming more "mature."

"It made sense to model how their technology would fit in with supply chain management and improve the availability of medicines, the speed with which those medicines would be provided, and the impact on cost," Rupani says.

Zipline and LLamasoft collaborated for over a year, modeling existing operations in Rwanda so they could make the case for expanding their services into Tanzania in terms of benefits and cost.

Rupani says nobody is making the case that drones should replace existing transportation methods completely, now or in the future.

"So the question becomes what niches do they fit into, and where do they give a compelling advantage?" Rupani says.

In Rwanda, the partners found that delivering blood by drone made more sense than driving to the nearest blood bank. Instead of using three or four hours of an employee's time as well as fuel costs for a round-trip ride, a drone could deliver a few pints of blood in 20-30 minutes.

Rupani says delivery of vaccines is likely to be another useful application. Instead of sending one truck around each month to deliver vaccines to various health clinics, which may have power outages that spoil temperature-sensitive vaccines, a drone can deliver smaller amounts more frequently.

"It's a nice trade-off, because the cost worked out to be about neutral, but with better performance" and less waste, Rupani says.

Rupani says he and others at LLamasoft are working on a white paper with another partner with the aim of determining what niches in the supply chain can best be supplied by drones.

"We're looking not just at Zipline's technology but all available drone options currently on the market," Rupani says. "We'll be looking at all these different parameters and examining in which cases it would make sense to deliver by drones."

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.

Photos courtesy of LLamasoft.

Output: LLamasoft has joined forces with Zipline, an autonomous drone delivery firm that carries medical supplies to remote and hard-to-reach locations. After a successful collaboration between the two companies in Rwanda, they plan to expand their services into Tanzania, continuing an initiative to utilise drones in public health supply chain applications. Trips to blood banks used to take three to four hours of an employee's time, but the use of drones may cut this down to 20-30 minutes.


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Offshore expert Opex optimises rig data with X-PAS
 As offshore operations become increasingly digitalised, vast amounts of data are collected and put to use with the hope of creating the most efficient rigs possible. But with such large volumes of information, how can we be sure the right data is floating to the service? At the Transforming Offshore Operations forum in Aberdeen at the end of June this year, Operational Excellence Group (OPEX) vice president Gerry Ward made it clear that almost all of this data is going to waste, leading to increasing and unnecessary costs.

An offshore rig can have as many as 30,000 data tags but only a fraction of the data collected is put to use. This has a knock-on effect on other aspects like maintenance which is often expensively overlooked and poorly organised. For example, one company spent £20m refurbishing accommodation units so they could be used during maintenance, only for them to be thrown away after just one use.

As the oil and gas industry is changing, so must its attitude to data waste. “The industry has a real opportunity to embrace emerging big data technologies that can help them maximise economic recovery in the UK continental shelf,” explains Ward.

We sat down with Ward to discuss how OPEX’s predictive systems can put a stop to data wastage, and why so much data is being overlooked.

Molly Lempriere: How are you using data to improve the way oil rigs work?

Gerry Ward: OPEX has pioneered a unique data-driven approach to maximising production uptime, known as X-PAS, which combines predictive technologies and techniques with the expertise of data scientists and the domain experience of oil and gas engineers.

Expert sources state that the majority of oil and gas production losses are attributed to issues with critical systems. However, if you can predict the threats to these systems in advance, in most cases you can take the required steps to mitigate or eliminate the risk.

Most data analysis tools and conventional monitoring techniques look for changes in single data points to signal a problem or issue, for example changes in temperature, vibration, pressure or flow. The X-PAS approach is different.

Using data from existing offshore sensors we can create bespoke models that enable us to reveal the many thousands of relationships that exist within critical systems. Essentially, we can look at how millions of data points from an asset are interacting with each other at the same time. It’s multi-dimensional.

“An offshore rig can have as many as 30,000 data tags but only a fraction of the data collected is put to use.”

Using live sensor data, our team of data scientists use these complex models to carry out analysis on behalf of our customers to pinpoint any anomalies or developing issues. Our oil and gas engineers then verify and place these insights into the context of the offshore operating environment to identify emergent risks to production before they occur, often months in advance. Rather than ‘flooding’ our customers with meaningless observations we ensure that only filtered, actionable insights are escalated.

ML: Can you give us an example of a situation where your technology has made a big difference?

GW: By turning huge volumes of operational data into valuable filtered information, the X-PAS service enables our customers to make informed decisions and interventions to maximise the uptime on their installations. This improvement helps to increase production revenues; lift production efficiency; reduce operational, maintenance and repair costs; and improve the performance of plant and people.

The X-PAS service was initially piloted in 2015 and is now being used by a number of UKCS operators.

For example, the X-PAS service is in operation on the gas compression system on a major UKCS installation. 2.5million data points and thousands of relationships are analysed on a daily basis from the X-PAS Support Centre. Over a 12-month period the X-PAS service helped the customer earn an additional $20mn in production revenue through 40 crucial interventions, resulting in a 65% reduction in system trips and a number of important safety and performance improvements

By making use of existing infrastructure and operational data that was previously going to waste, no additional capital expenditure was required to achieve these efficiency gains.

ML: Why do you think so much data is going to waste?

GW: The industry has invested heavily in infrastructure to capture data from the offshore installations, each one having something like 30,000 data tags, yet less than 1% of the data collected is used to aid decision making.

There are many factors that contribute to this. In simple terms, people are just too busy – they don’t have the time to dedicate to analysing the data, and data is useless unless it is turned into actionable insights.

The industry is wrestling with the changes that digital transformations present. We are seeing a move in the right direction, with more and more operators recognising the opportunities that exist by unlocking the value in their data.

ML: What are the next steps for OPEX?

GW: The team at OPEX have a genuine desire to make a difference to the oil and gas industry by harnessing the power of ‘big data’ to increase production, reduce costs and improve performance. We are now working closely with our customers and industry bodies to explore the potential of applying predictive big data techniques and technology for a number of other solutions for the oil and gas industry.

Output: Aberdeen-based company Operational Excellence Group (Opex) believes the vast quantities of data generated by offshore oil and gas operations can be put to better use, according to its vice-president Gerry Ward. It has developed X-PAS, a system combining "predictive technologies and techniques with the expertise of data scientists and the domain experience of oil and gas engineers". The software enables Opex data scientists to predict developing issues or anomalies, reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Ward said X-PAS had helped one customer earn an additional $20m of revenue in one year.


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Mobile app is favourite way to bank in Saudi Arabia
 RIYADH — Banking customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are increasingly using digital channels to conduct their transactions, with mobile banking leading the way, according to a new survey from Avaya. The findings reveal that Saudi customers’ most-preferred channel for accessing banking services is via a mobile app, while 40% of respondents said it was a priority to have everything on their mobile device – the highest out of nine countries surveyed.

The Customer Experience in Banking Survey, conducted with YouGov, queried more than 10,000 banking customers in two waves – the first covering the UK, UAE, India and Australia, and the second France, Germany, Italy, KSA and South Africa. Almost a quarter (24%) of respondents in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia said a mobile app was their preferred channel, behind only India and South Africa, and much higher compared to just 8% in Germany and 10% in France.

Saudi Arabia already has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the region, with a population penetration rate of 140% as of Q1 2017, according to one report by the Ministry of Communication & Information Technology.

Saudi banking customers are also more likely to change their banks because of poor customer service – and less likely to give the bank a chance to do something about it. While more than half (52%) would change banks – the highest out of all nine countries – only 37% would lodge a complaint, the lowest of the countries surveyed. When asked to assess what was important to them in interacting with their bank, top asks from KSA banking customers include wanting to have the same level of experience and service across all channels, and for their problems to be resolved on the first point of contact, all regardless of which contact channel they used.

While more robust digital channels are one way for banks to improve the customer experience, almost a quarter of those in the Kingdom would still prefer to visit their bank’s branch and speak with a relationship officer for services. Virtual Financial Advisors (VFAs) – representatives from the bank who engage customers through virtual means and service them remotely with online tools – seem to be an ideal solution based on the preferences of KSA respondents. According to the survey, the most valued benefit of having a VFA is being able to resolve their banking inquiries faster, regardless of the contact center channel they use.

Customers in the Kingdom generally prefer not to be contacted by their bank for promotional offers or new services. But they want to hear from their bank when it comes to renewing their credit cards or services before they expire, and dealing with problematic or potentially fraudulent transactions. Nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) say that they would not want to be contacted for any of these issues, preferring to contact the bank only when they need to.

“Getting customer experience right is vital for banks in KSA, and it is clear that delivering a superior customer experience requires coordination across all touchpoints—whether online or offline,” said Yaser Alzubaidi, Engagement Solutions Sales Leader for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) at Avaya. “Banks in the region are increasingly investing in digital transformation to deliver the right customer experience. However, it really comes down to personal autonomy and giving consumers the opportunity to choose the way they interact with their bank. That is where new technologies can really make a difference. Moreover, these new technologies help customers to do what they want to do as fast and effectively as possible.” — SG

Output: Bank customers in Saudi Arabia are increasingly showing a preference for using digital channels to conduct transactions, with mobile phone banking their preferred platform. A survey of over 10,000 customers by polling company YouGov showed almost a quarter of those in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE cited a mobile app as their preferred channel, with only India and South Africa recording higher scores for that method. The survey also found more Saudi customers would change their bank rather than complain if the customer service was poor. Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of mobile ownership in the region.


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State Bank of India moves towards virtualisation of payment card
 SBI Cards Customers Will Soon Be Able To Make Payments By Tapping Their Smartphones On POS Machines

In a bid to make payments faster, more reliable and convenient, SBI Cards, a joint venture between the State Bank of India and GE Capital, is set to release an updated version of its mobile app. As per reports, the move is geared towards allowing contactless payments at POS (point of sale) terminals.

The contactless payments technology, according to sources, will enable SBI Cards customers to pay by simply tapping their smartphones on POS machines. Based on Host Card Emulation (HCE), the app has provision for dematerialisation of the card.

While SBI cardholders already use their smartphones to make payments digitally, the proprietary contactless payments app is designed to facilitate virtualisation of the card via a smartphone using near-field communication (NFC). The app will be launched by next month, sources have revealed.

Lately, the payment solutions provider has been on a path of embracing innovation for the purpose of bolstering its product line. Speaking on the matter, SBI Cards CEO Vijay Jasuja stated, “Among our recent innovations we have enabled our card for Bharat QR code by incorporating the feature in our app.”

SBI Cards: Second Largest Card Issuer Servicing Over 5 Mn Users

The genesis of SBI Cards can be traced back to 1998, when GE Capital partnered with the State Bank of India to float two joint venture companies, as part of a move aimed at developing a robust credit card business in the country. It is currently the largest card issuer in India, second only to HDFC Bank.

At present, SBI enjoys majority shareholder status, with a 60% stake in the venture. In July 2016, it was reported that GE Capital was looking to exit the venture. As stated by Jasuja, the company is working to double its current user count within the next two years.

Over the last three years, SBI Cards has reportedly doubled its customer base to more than 5 Mn. IT has witnessed fastest growth in the insurance segment and currently, holds a 15% market share in terms of card spends and cards-in-force (CIF).

Jasuja added, “Before demonetisation, the card volume growth rate was around 60,000 cards per month which increased to over 100K cards per month post-demonetisation period and has now grown to around 200K cards per month.”

The bank’s subsidiary currently issues cards to both the individual and corporate segments, under the following categories: Premium Card, Classic Card, Travel & Shopping Card, Exclusive Card, Corporate Card, Kisan Card, and Loan Card. Around 15%-20% of these cards are provided through partnerships with enterprises like Tata and Big Bazaar.

Existing customers of the State Bank of India account for nearly 35% of all cards issued by SBI Cards. Jasuja said, “While going after the whole lot does not make sense considering that the bank has a 50-crore customer base and we do not have the capacity for that, we will be picking them up in lots.”

According to a 2016 SBI Research report, monthly card spend in the country has increased significantly over the last 12 months, from $547 Mn (INR 3,500 Cr) per month to over $859.5 Mn (INR 5,500 Cr) per month.

The creation of the HCE-based contactless payments app is one of the many steps taken by the company to expand its customer base. As confirmed by Jasuja, SBI Cards is keen on investing in infrastructure and forging new partnerships. In December 2016, the company announced plans to issue credit cards to students of the country’s 100-200 top educational institutions.

While exact details of the technology have not been disclosed by SBI Cards, the promise of contactless payments on POS machines is sure to be a big hit among retail consumers.

(The development was reported by ET)

Output: SBI Cards, a joint venture between the State Bank of India and GE Capital, will launch an updated app enabling cardholders to make contactless payments at point of sale (PoS) devices in India. The app, set to be launched next month, will use near-field communication to allow customers to make a payment by tapping their phones on to the PoS machine. The move is intended to facilitate the virtualisation of payment cards. SBI Cards currently has a 15% market share in terms of card spends and cards in force, with volume growth rate at 200,000 cards a month.


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Scientists develop cheap test for DNA biomarkers
 Scientists at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital have developed a cheap, sensitive, and highly accurate way of detecting protein biomarkers. The technology may very well revolutionize diagnostics, disease monitoring, and help stop the spread of infectious pathogens. The nanoswitch-linked immunosorbent assay (NLISA) has the potential to be as simple to use as self-administered pregnancy tests but with nearly laboratory-level of accuracy.

NLISA screens for specially prepared DNA strands that change shape in the presence of a protein biomarker. The DNA strands have multiple small proteins that bind to the target proteins, and as they bind, they pull on the rest of the DNA strand, changing its shape. Electrophoresis is then used to pull on the DNA strands, some of which move faster than others depending on whether they’ve been bent out of their original shape or not. Moreover, while the dragging is going something called “kinetic proofreading” is administered to the DNA strands, shaking loose any imperfect connections that may lead to false positives.

The technology, just described in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was used to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA) at high sensitivity and to screen between different strains of the Dengue virus in less than an hour. False positives were reduced to nearly zero while the sensitivity was lab quality.

Here’s a quick animation that explains the workings of the NLISA technology:

Study in PNAS: Nanoswitch-linked immunosorbent assay (NLISA) for fast, sensitive, and specific protein detection…

Via: Wyss Institute…

Output: US scientists have developed a cheap, highly accurate test that can be used to diagnose conditions by detecting protein biomarkers in subjects' DNA. The test could be as simple to use as a home pregnancy testing kit, according to the researchers from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Boston's Children's Hospital. In experiments, the method was used to detect prostate-specific antigen and to screen between different strains of the Dengue virus in less than an hour. It reduced false positives to nearly zero and achieved lab-quality sensitivity.


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Cancer drugs' high prices not justified by cost of development, study contends
 (HealthDay)— Excusing the sky-high price tags of many new cancer treatments, pharmaceutical companies often blame high research and development (R&D) costs.

But a new analysis, focused on 10 new cancer drugs, finds those costs may have been greatly exaggerated—and the return on investment for drug companies is lucrative indeed.

The study found that the typical R&D process for a new cancer medication spans about seven years, with an average per-drug cost of between $648 million and $794 million.

Pricey, yes—but still far below the $2.7 billion-per-drug R&D figure determined by a 2016 Tufts University investigation. It's that number that drug companies have pointed to as their average R&D cost per drug.

And the pay-off, once a new cancer drug reaches the market, can be enormous, the new study found. According to the researchers, after an average of about four years on the U.S. market, the 10 new drugs they studied ended up collectively generating $67 billion in revenue.

That's seven times the total cost of all the drugs' combined R&D.

"These results suggest that pharmaceutical drug development is extremely lucrative, and the current drug prices are not necessarily justified by the R&D spending on these drugs," said study co-author Sham Mailankody. He's assistant attending physician with the myeloma service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Mailankody co-wrote the study with Dr. Vinay Prasad, of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. The findings were published online Sept. 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

At the crux of the issue are skyrocketing U.S. prices for new cancer medications, which often exceed $100,000 a year, sometimes hitting as high as $200,000.

According to Mailankody, there are three common justifications for this "sticker shock": the drug is a novel approach to treating a cancer; it brings improved effectiveness; and it's been produced after some very expensive R&D.

Mailankody said that, in prior investigations, he and Prasad already found that "the cost of anticancer drugs is unrelated to the novelty of mechanism of action or the efficacy of these drugs."

So that leaves the high R&D cost as the sole justification left standing.

To see if that argument held up, the researchers identified 10 drug companies which—for the first time—had each gotten a single new cancer drug to market between 2006 and 2015.

The 10 new medicines included: ponatinib (Iclusig); brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris); cabozantinib (Cometriq); ruxolitinib (Jakafi); eculizumab (Soliris); ibrutinib (Imbruvica); enzalutamide (Xtandi); irinotecan liposome (Onivyde); vincristine liposome (Marqibo); and pralatrexate (Folotyn).

Filings lodged with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission revealed the total amount each company had laid out for all R&D costs related to cancer drugs—even when the company successfully brought just one drug to market.

"Our analysis actually accounts for the cost of [all drug] failures" as well, Mailankody explained, rather than just the R&D costs of a single successful drug.

R&D cost per drug ranged widely between companies, from a low of $320 million to a high of $2.7 billion, the study found.

However, roughly four years after a drug successfully made it to market, nine out of 10 companies saw their revenues greatly exceed such costs. In fact, four of the 10 companies were raking in revenues 10 times their total investment in R&D, the findings showed.

Mailankody noted that drug companies also "enjoy long market exclusivity/patent protections," averaging about 14 years, so that "in time, it is anticipated that these companies will have substantial profits."

Merrill Goozner has variously worked as a business professor, journalist, and director of the Integrity in Science Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. He wrote a journal commentary reflecting on the new findings. He believes "the study conclusively shows for the first time that the drug industry's claim that it costs $2.5 billion on average to develop a new drug is completely specious."

Representatives of the drug industry were quick to take issue with the claims, however.

Speaking to The New York Times, Daniel Seaton, a spokesman for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, said that because success in drug research is expensive and never guaranteed, "it's a bit like saying it's a good business to go out and buy winning lottery tickets."

And Dr. Joseph DiMasi, the Tufts University researcher who wrote the 2016 study citing the $2.7 billion figure, called the newer study "irredeemably flawed."

"The sample consists of relatively small companies that have gotten only one drug approved, with few other drugs of any type in development," he told the Times. This leads to "substantial selection bias," so that the findings cannot reflect the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.

Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld is deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. Reading over the study from Mailankody and Prasad, he said that "there are a lot of different facets to this discussion, well beyond the single point of this paper."

He agreed with DiMasi that the paper's focus on small start-ups fails to "consider drug companies that are private or very large with many, many, drugs under consideration."

Lichtenfeld pointed out that "the problem is those kinds of privately held companies don't provide access to detailed R&D information. And many people, including these researchers, would argue that we need that information in order to make rational interpretations on drug pricing."

He added, "As a member of the Cancer Society, I don't have a position on this. But I do think this paper is going to move this discussion along because we need innovation and incentives for innovation. But society 'writ large' also needs to reach an understanding as to what is acceptable and desirable. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail."

More information: Sham Mailankody, M.B.B.S., assistant attending physician, myeloma service, department of medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City; J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, M.D., MACP, deputy chief medical officer, American Cancer Society; Merrill Goozner, M.S., editorial department, Modern Healthcare, Chicago; The New York Times; Sept. 11, 2017, JAMA Internal Medicine, online There's advice on managing the cost of cancer care at the American Cancer Society. Journal information: JAMA Internal Medicine

Copyright © 2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Output: Excusing the sky-high price tags of many new cancer treatments, pharmaceutical companies often blame high research and development (R&D) costs. But a new analysis, focused on 10 new cancer drugs, finds those costs may have been greatly exaggerated—and the return on investment for drug companies is lucrative indeed.


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California moves closer to adopting a drug pricing transparency law
 A California bill that would require drug makers to report and justify price hikes took a big step toward reality on Monday night. The state Assembly overwhelmingly passed the legislation and it now goes to the Senate for approval, which legislative sources say may occur as soon as today.

The bill, which has been vociferously fought by the pharmaceutical industry, could become one of the most comprehensive state efforts to address pricing transparency. For instance, drug makers would have to provide 60-day notice to insurers and government health plans before increasing list prices of a medicine that costs more than $40, by 16 percent in a two-year period.

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If the legislation becomes law, health plans would also have to provide detailed information about prescription drug costs and the portion of premiums attributed to this expense (here is a fact sheet).

Output: A California bill that would require drug makers to report and justify price hikes took a big step toward reality on Monday night. The state Assembly overwhelmingly passed the legislation and it now goes to the Senate for approval, which legislative sources say may occur as soon as today.


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Goldman invests in financial wellbeing provider
 Source: Neyber

London-headquartered Neyber, the UK’s sector leading financial wellbeing provider, has secured up to a further £100M in a capital investment round led by Goldman Sachs.

The investment includes debt and equity as part of the recently completed series C fundraising round providing Goldman Sachs with a stake in the company. Neyber has also secured £15m of lending capital from existing investors led by Henry Ritchotte and Gael de Boissard in this investment round.

Neyber is an award-winning financial wellbeing provider that helps UK employees to be better with their money. Neyber partners with employers to support their workforce’s financial wellbeing with access to affordable, salary-deducted loans and financial education - all at no cost or risk to the employer.

Neyber launched nationally in January 2016. Since then it has launched with over 80 private and public sector organisations across the UK including some of the largest UK employers. It has saved its borrowers £14M in interest payments and developed an addressable market of 700,000 employees.

Neyber co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Martin Ijaha, said:

“This is a groundbreaking transaction for Neyber and the most significant milestone in our development to date. This transaction brings Neyber’s award winning proposition further into focus and comes at a time when Neyber is launching with some of the largest employers in the UK. This capital investment will allow Neyber to embrace these opportunities and expand the universe of employees that Neyber can serve. This supports our mission of improving the financial wellbeing of even more UK employees.

“Goldman Sachs joins Police Mutual and WGC to create a group of core strategic investors in Neyber. Collectively the investment and expertise these three organisations bring across areas such as capital markets, financial services and credit risk will serve to cement Neyber’s position as the leading player in the UK salary deducted lending market".

Dennis Beeson, a senior executive with Goldman Sachs Private Capital, said:

“We are excited to partner with Neyber on its period of rapid growth. Employee financial wellbeing is of increasing importance to UK employers and Neyber is a key player in the evolving market. Neyber’s strong management and leading technology platform ensure its continued success.”

Neyber was founded by former Goldman Sachs investment bankers Martin ljaha and Monica Kalia along with financial technology expert Ezechi Britton.

The founders joined together to deliver a genuine alternative to the solutions offered by financial service providers whose high borrowing rates and low returns on savings have helped to create an unprecedented era of financial stress. Neyber clients include FTSE listed firms, the UK Police Service, London City Airport, Anglian Water, BUPA, NHS Trusts and local authorities.

Output: Goldman Sachs has invested £100m ($132m) in London-based financial wellbeing platform Neyber, a firm which helps workers in the UK manage their finances. Neyber's goal is to displace traditional financial service companies by offering employees lower rates on loans and easier access to investments and savings accounts. The investment will allow Neyber to expand the number of employers it works with, according to a company statement.


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If the GOP would only give up on repeal and replace it could actually make healthcare more affordable
 Time is rapidly running out before health insurers have to commit to the policies and premiums they’ll offer next year to roughly 20 million Americans not covered by an employer-sponsored health plan. Although those premiums are expected to jump 10% or more in many states, Congress can rein in that increase significantly — if it acts quickly. Doing so, however, will require Senate Republicans to stop flirting with yet another partisan proposal to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, and start focusing instead on steps to make coverage more affordable that can win broad support.

The good news is that leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, who have a reputation for pragmatism and compromise, are trying to pull together a narrowly focused, bipartisan bill this week that would have a direct and rapid effect on premiums. Although the details are still being negotiated, the measure is likely to continue reimbursing insurers for at least a year — and preferably more — for some $7 billion that the ACA requires them to spend on lower out-of-pocket costs for low-income customers.

Although the law requires the federal government to make those reimbursements, some Republicans have labeled them a bailout for insurers, and the Trump administration has threatened repeatedly to cut off funding. Those threats have led insurers to seek premium increases of 2% to 23% in 2018 just to pay for the cost-sharing reductions, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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It’s irresponsible for Republicans even to flirt with the Cassidy proposal.

That’s just one of the factors driving up premiums; others include the Trump administration’s indifferent enforcement of the ACA’s requirement that all Americans carry insurance, which encourages healthier adults not to sign up for coverage, and the unexpectedly large treatment costs incurred by those who do have policies. The Senate health committee’s bill may not address the rest of those issues directly. Instead, it’s likely to let states try to entice more healthy people to buy coverage by allowing insurers to offer less robust policies than the ACA requires, or by kicking in state dollars to help insurers.

A more direct approach would be to provide the sort of federal backstop that helps hold down premiums in Medicare’s prescription drug plans — such as reinsuring insurers against the cost of consumers with outsize medical expenses.

But even the Senate committee’s proposal would be better than one being floated by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.), which would replace the ACA’s insurance mandate and subsidies with a complex system of aid to the states, while also reengineering Medicaid to gradually reduce Washington’s share of its costs.

The Cassidy proposal has until Sept. 30 to pass by a simple majority, after which it would need an unattainable 60 votes to overcome a certain Democratic filibuster. It’s irresponsible for Republicans even to flirt with so major a proposal, let alone one so potentially damaging to California and other states with large Medicaid populations. Congress barely has enough time to pass a far more narrow bill to shore up the non-group insurance markets in time to affect the 2018 premiums. Lawmakers should focus on that, and get it done.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook

Output: Time is rapidly running out before health insurers have to commit to the policies and premiums they’ll offer next year to roughly 20 million Americans not covered by an employer-sponsored health plan. Although those premiums are expected to jump 10% or more in many states, Congress can rein in that increase significantly — if it acts quickly.


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GOP split over fixing or gutting Obamacare as deadline looms
 “I don’t see it,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who backs the block grant proposal set to be introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), said on Wednesday. “I don’t see voting on doing it one more time.”

Shot back Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who came to prominence attacking Obamacare: “I think we are much closer to getting this done than many outside observers believe. I think we’ve got 45-46 votes in the Senate.”

But it has always been the last five votes that have stymied action on Obamacare repeal, and 46 votes isn’t close enough for GOP leaders to reopen the painful wound left by July’s failure to pass even a slimmed down Obamacare repeal bill.

The problem for McConnell is that the alternative doesn’t seem to be taking off either.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) is trying to work with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) on a bill to shore up the insurance markets, but the two health committee leaders are already at odds over including looser regulations with the package. Without regulatory reform, many Republicans argue, the bill amounts to a giveaway to the insurance industry.

“All I see so far are suggestions for further bailouts of insurance companies and no real reform,” said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas). He said it “may be” better to do nothing at all.

Alexander said Tuesday that he wants to have some kind of plan “in our minds by early next week in order to be able to hand it to Senator McConnell and [Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer in time to deal with it before the end of the month.”

So far, Alexander is looking at a bill that would fund Obamacare’s cost-sharing program for two years, allow for people to buy “catastrophic” health care plans that were restricted under Obamacare and make changes to a state waiver program. The waivers, dubbed 1332s, have proven to be the most controversial element, as Democrats say the changes shouldn’t eliminate consumer protections and Republicans say structural changes are needed to reduce costs in the health system.

McConnell on Tuesday refused to rule out votes on either a repeal or a fix of Obamacare, wary of picking sides among his caucus and aware that both proposals divide the Senate GOP.

“The way forward as of today is unclear,” he told reporters.

But doing nothing at all seems an equally bad option.

Insurance companies make final decisions on their 2018 plans at the end of the month, and inaction seems likely to cause a premium spike. Congress would also be ceding more authority to President Donald Trump, who currently threatens to withhold Obamacare subsidies on a monthly basis, a move that could cripple the insurance markets and allow Democrats to blame the GOP for high premiums.

Senate Republicans also are still stewing over the failure of their July repeal effort. Cassidy, Graham and two other senators will begin a final push for their block grant approach at a Wednesday news conference. Senators say their voters are sick of hearing excuses and need to see some action.

“My constituents want to see Obamacare repealed. But the votes aren’t there right now,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.).

Cruz, Graham, Cassidy and their allies are trying to change that narrative, and they believe that stated interest by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) — who with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) killed the GOP’s “skinny” bill — could help get them to 50 votes. They also see an opening on the calendar: The Senate is likely to have a window for another repeal vote at the end of month, once the chamber passes the defense bill it is currently debating.

But some Democrats are skeptical that McCain, who opposed the previous bill in part because it was rushed to the floor, could back Graham-Cassidy, which is being introduced less than three weeks before the deadline for passage.

“Anybody that said that they want regular order can’t vote for a bill when regular order is literally playing out before your eyes,” Sen. Chris Murphy said of the health committee’s process. “How on earth do you short circuit a bill and undercut Lamar Alexander?”

But with the budget reconciliation tool to evade a filibuster about to expire, pressure is increasing from the White House and among rank-and-file GOP senators to give repeal another try. Trump has repeatedly needled McConnell and his members over this summer’s failure.

And that requires Republicans to keep the door cracked for another repeal vote this month.

“It’s not done. It’s still a live round out there,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). “It’s pretty slim, but there’s a chance.”

The block grant plan would likely cut hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending and potentially leave millions more uninsured, a problem for the more moderate Republicans. But Graham and Cassidy are running into resistance from conservatives because the bill keeps some of Obamacare’s taxes and regulations.

The main selling point to the right is that the bill is better than allowing the fast-track power to lapse with nothing to show for it.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says that’s not enough for him.

“Keep all the Obamacare taxes? Keep most of the Obamacare regulations? And then give some sort of pretense to giving state control? They leave all the regulations in place as far as I’m concerned. It sounds to me like a bad idea,” Paul said Monday. “I don’t think it’s going anywhere. I’ve heard nobody talking about it.”

Heritage Action spokesman Dan Holler said the conservative advocacy group is waiting to see details but prior versions of the bill were “far off the mark from what conservatives had anticipated” from the GOP Obamacare repeal effort.

“What they proposed in the summer had some pretty big downfalls — keeping most of the taxes,” Holler said. “But there were elements of good things in there too [such as] allowing states to be flexible.”

Conservatives are even less likely to support the Alexander-Murray effort, but the bipartisan duo was never going to get the most conservative members of the Republican Conference. Instead, the bill would likely pass with a mix of Democratic votes and centrist Republicans, if McConnell decides to bring it to the floor.

“We need cost-sharing. We need it soon,” Schumer said. “Sens. Alexander and Murray are working on a compromise proposal, which we hope will be ready very soon. And we can move that, not some effort to repeal.”

Output: Republicans are paralyzed over what to do about health care, caught between a bipartisan effort to shore up Obamacare and the opportunity to take one last swing at their years-long promise to repeal the law.


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AAFP Debates Medical Aid-in-Dying Laws
 SAN ANTONIO -- Some family physicians want the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to spike the term "assisted suicide" and recognize medical aid-in-dying as "an ethical, personal, end-of-life decision."

California delegates presented and argued for their resolution here at the AAFP's Congress of Delegates meeting, inciting vigorous debate on Monday afternoon.

While the AAFP currently abides by the American Medical Association's code of ethics -- and in 20 years the AMA has not altered its position on the issue -- Heather Paladine, MD, a New York delegate, and sponsor of the "ethical" resolution said the AAFP should take the lead. Others "wholeheartedly" agreed.

"To use the term 'assisted suicide' is arrogant and I also believe it's judgmental. We as physicians do not have the right nor the power to decide what life is and the quality of that life for a patient," said Karla Booker, MD, an alternate delegate from Georgia, who noted that she wasn't willing to "stand by" as her husband suffered from terminal lung cancer.

Critics of the resolution said it directly contradicts the Hippocratic Oath and could lead to a "slippery slope." Others opposed the resolutions arguing that the term "medical aid-in-dying" is inaccurate, since hospice care providers also help patients through the dying process, minus the "lethal prescription."

Delegates also explored arguments for repealing the Hyde amendment, endorsing a single-payer system and improving the public's perception of physicians in relation to opioids.

The Hyde Amendment prohibits the federal government from providing coverage for abortion, and delegates from California want it scrapped. They argued that health plans funded by the states or the federal government that offer coverage for continuing a pregnancy should also provide coverage for ending a pregnancy.

Not everyone agreed.

"The murder of a child has not yet been defined as healthcare," said James "Jim" Taylor, MD, an alternate delegate from Louisiana, who added that now is not the time to bring up a "settled issue."

Wanda Filer, MD, board chair for the AAFP, speaking neither for or against, said the group typically opposes laws when they are applied in ways that restrict patients' access to legal medical services.

However, Filer suggested that a separate resolution, proffered by New York, which aimed to prohibit laws that ban or limit telemedicine's use for medication abortion, would likely need further study, due to "complicated and variable" state laws.

California, Colorado, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, and Maine all put forward some version of a resolution supporting healthcare as a human right.

Taylor, a Louisiana alternate delegate, opposed the idea. " If this is a right, that creates an open-ended demand on your labor," he said, warning members to be careful what they wish for.

However, Filer recommended the resolution be referred "until we have a sense of where our membership resides."

Lastly, a resolution to "Stop the Blame the Doctors Game," sponsored by Mississippi, and aiming to engage public relations staff to reframe public perception of physicians' role in the opioid epidemic, was panned by some delegates.

"This is a multifactorial problem, and we don't want to lower ourselves to that level," said Domenic Casablanca, MD, a Connecticut delegate.

The AAFP Congress will review these and other resolutions when it re-convenes Tuesday to begin voting on proposed new policies.

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Output: Some family physicians want the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to spike the term "assisted suicide" and recognize medical aid-in-dying as "an ethical, personal, end-of-life decision."


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Hospice care is short and may start later than needed
 Older adults are admitted to hospice for short duration despite experiencing symptoms months prior to the end of life, according to a Yale-led study. The finding highlights the need for earlier hospice admission or other strategies to address increasing symptoms and disability at the end of life, the researchers said.

The study was published on September 12 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The researchers examined information from a study of 562 people, aged 70 and older, who were not disabled when the study began but died over the following 16 years. Of these individuals, 244 (43.4 percent) were admitted to hospice during the last year of life. They were slightly older and more likely to have cognitive impairments (problems thinking and making decisions) than older adults who weren’t admitted to hospice.

The researchers found that cancer and advanced dementia were the conditions that most often resulted in hospice admission. Older adults who were frail were least likely to be admitted to hospice. The most common condition leading to death was frailty, followed by organ failure, advanced dementia, and cancer.

The study also found that the duration of hospice care was less than 13 days for half of the study participants. This short duration suggests that healthcare providers might need to consider discussing referrals to hospice sooner with people who are approaching the end of their lives. Alternatively, providers may need to develop and test other ways to reduce the high burden of distressing symptoms and disability at the end of life, said the researchers.

“Failing or delaying to refer older persons to hospice at the end of life can place a high burden on caregivers and result in patient suffering,” said Dr. Thomas Gill, the Humana Foundation Professor of Medicine and the study’s first author.

Referral to hospice at the end of life should be based on an older adult’s burden of pain and other distressing symptoms, suggest the researchers. Those symptoms include fatigue, nausea, depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty with memory, among others.

Study authors are Dr. Ling Han, Linda Leo-Summers, Dr. Evelyne A. Gahbauer, and Heather G. Allore.

The work for this report was funded by grants from the National Institute on Aging. The study was conducted at the Yale Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center.

Output: Older adults are admitted to hospice for short duration despite experiencing symptoms months prior to the end of life, according to a Yale-led study. The finding highlights the need for earlier hospice admission or other strategies to address increasing symptoms and disability at the end of life, the researchers said.


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Non-traditional teachers highly value digital learning tools
 Research

Teachers in Non-Traditional Classrooms Value Digital Tools for Personalized Learning

Teachers in flipped, blended and virtual classrooms see greater value in digital learning tools than their counterparts in traditional classrooms — in particular for personalized learning.

According to a new report released by Project Tomorrow, more educators in non-traditional classrooms indicated that, thanks to technology, "they are now providing students with more individualized attention, creating more student-centered learning experiences, helping my students become self-directed learners," and 53 percent said the use of tech "results in students taking greater ownership of their own learning," compared with about a third of educators in traditional classrooms.

The data were released as part of a Congressional briefing by Project Tomorrow, compiled from information collected for the 2016 Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning, which included input from more than 500,000 K-12 students, teachers, administrators and parents. (Registration for the 2017 Speak Up Survey is open now; input will be collected from Oct. 16, 2017 to Jan. 19, 2018.)

"The opportunities technology presents to transform learning have yet to be fully explored and implemented in classrooms across the country," said Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, in a statement released to coincide with the report. "Speak Up data continues to show evidence of external indicators of change, but also indicate the lack of real systematic changes in activities, attitudes or aspirations of teachers. Those teaching in new classroom models — flipped, blended and virtual — are pointing the way for how technology can actually change teaching and learning."

Further information can be found at tomorrow.org/speakup.

Output: More than half of US teachers believe that digital technology is helping students take "greater ownership" of their education compared to traditional methods, according to a report by Project Tomorrow. The study formed part of the 2016 Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning, which surveyed more than 500,000 K-12 students, teachers, administrators and parents. "Those teaching in new classroom models - flipped, blended and virtual - are pointing the way for how technology can actually change teaching and learning", said Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow.


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Start-up Sophia Genetics raises $30m for AI cancer diagnosis
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A startup that’s using artificial intelligence to help analyse the human genome and then diagnose illnesses like cancer and metabolic disorders, has raised $30m in a recent funding round.

Sophia Genetics, which was founded in 2011 by academics from Stanford University and Switzerland, provides over 330 hospitals in more than 50 countries with software to analyse genomic profiles and diagnose patients.

It recently expanded into so-called liquid biopsies, offering an app that can help diagnose cancer by analysing DNA and tumour cells in blood, urine, cerebral spinal fluid and other liquid samples.

The latest funding round was led by London-based Balderton Capital, one of the largest venture capital firms in Europe. Balderton manages around $2.3bn in assets and has invested in more than 100 companies since 2000, including Betfair, before it publicly listed, and LOVEFiLM, before it was sold to Amazon in 2011.

Other investors that participated in the latest funding round include 360o Capital Partners, entrepreneur Mike Lynch’s Invoke Capital and Alychlo, which was started by Belgian pharmaceutical entrepreneur Marc Coucke.

“As diagnostic kits and sequencers become cheaper and more powerful, we believe that there is an opportunity to build the defining software layer on top of these technologies in genomics, just as Windows did for PCs and Android has for smartphones, and Sophia is already leading in this field,” said James Wise, a partner at Balderton Capital.

Jurgi Camblong, chief executive and co-founded of Sophia said that the group aims to break down the “information silos in healthcare, meaning that the information from a patient in London or Paris can for instance help better diagnose and treat a patient in Lagos or Rio”.

Output: Swiss start-up Sophia Genetics has raised $30m in a funding round led by London-based Balderton Capital, one Europe's largest venture capital firms, and featuring participation from 360 Capital Partners, Invoke Capital and Alychlo. Sophia Genetics, founded by a group of academics from Stanford University in 2011, uses artificial intelligence to analyse the human genome and diagnose a range of illnesses, including cancer and metabolic disorders. The company recently expanded to offer liquid biopsies through an app.


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US researchers link biofuel production decline to drought
 From field to fuel. The switchgrass conversion process. Credit: Matthew Wishiewski

Plant-derived sustainable fuel sources could contribute to near-term U.S. energy security and independence. However, weather conditions could greatly affect crop yields. In this study, researchers examined the effect of weather on biofuel production by comparing switchgrass and corn stover harvested after a year of major drought and after 2 years of normal precipitation. They found that the plants produced more sugar, but the sugar changed during pretreatment and produced toxic compounds rather than the desired fuels.

The study is the first linking changes in rainfall and other conditions during crop growth to potential detrimental effects on biofuels. The work underscores the need to develop production systems that can tolerate sugars produced under stress and turn those sugars into the desired biofuels.

In response to the 2012 severe Midwestern drought, soluble sugar accumulated in switchgrass at significantly higher levels in comparison to non-drought years. The sugars were chemically changed during the pretreatment stage, the step that opens up the physical structure of the plant cell wall. The soluble sugars chemically changed by reacting with the ammonia-based pretreatment chemicals to form highly toxic compounds known as imidazoles and pyrazines. The formation of toxic compounds during the pretreatment stage inhibited conversion, the final step where intermediates such as sugars are fermented into biofuel by microorganisms, such as the microbe S. cerevisiae.

However, it may be possible to overcome this issue by 1) removing the soluble sugars before pretreatment or 2) using microbial strains resistant to the toxic effects of imidazoles and pyrazines. This study demonstrates that while there are benefits to growing bioenergy crops on marginal lands to avoid competition with food crops, the plants grown there may experience higher levels of stress resulting in deleterious impacts on microbes during biofuel production. To develop sustainable biofuel production systems, the deleterious effects of stress, such as fluctuations in precipitation and water availability, must be mitigated. This research helps to provide an understanding of the effects of drought stress on switchgrass.

More information: Rebecca Garlock Ong et al. Inhibition of microbial biofuel production in drought-stressed switchgrass hydrolysate, Biotechnology for Biofuels (2016). DOI: 10.1186/s13068-016-0657-0 Journal information: Biotechnology for Biofuels

Output: Drought may cause bioenergy crops to produce far less beneficial fuel, according to a recent scientific study. Researchers looking into the impact of the 2012 drought in the US Midwest found that sugars had built up in bioenergy crops, inhibiting the production of biofuel and instead creating highly toxic compounds. The research, the first to link changes in climate conditions with crop growth and their effect on biofuel production, concluded that "fluctuations in precipitation and water availability must be mitigated" to develop sustainable bioenergy production systems.


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Ieso lands $24m for AI-driven virtual behavioural therapy
 Ieso Digital Health, a Cambridge, UK-based digital behavioral health company, has raised $24 million in a new round of funding led by European VC firms Draper Esprit and Touchstone Innovations.

The company offers cognitive behavioral therapy via text-based messaging that takes place in a secure virtual room. Ieso collects data from sessions and uses machine learning to continue training its therapists in best practices.

“This financing is a great vote of confidence in Ieso’s ability to become a global leader in mental health delivery and our technology which lies at the intersection of online evidence-based CBT, dynamic artificial intelligence learning, real time therapist support, and mobile accessibility, ultimately creating high quality, accessible CBT therapy,” Dan Clark, Ieso’s CEO, said in a statement. “Up to 60 percent of people in the US alone have unmet behavioral health needs. This presents a major opportunity for Ieso to make a radical impact on healthcare outcomes and costs. With our technology and clinical data science we are simultaneously improving patient outcomes and reducing costs to the healthcare system.”

Ieso offers its services directly in some markets, but also works with health plans and employers. The company will use the funding to expand and scale its technology in the US and UK.

The company’s methodology was validated in a 2009 study in The Lancet. The study did show that online CBT improved depression recovery rates, but notably the intervention group received that therapy in addition to their regular care.

“Because of its focus on clinical results, Ieso has been at the forefront of the clear and long overdue movement from volume to value based reimbursement,” continued Clark. “Put simply, unlike the existing subscriber-based services, Ieso only does well, if the patient does well.”

Behavioral health is a hot topic for digital health these days, and a number of companies in the space have received large funding rounds in the space just recently.

Behavioral health technology company AbleTo secured $36.6 million in a round led by Bain Capital Ventures last month. Talkspace, another online therapy company, raised $31 million last week in a round led by Qumra Capital.

Output: UK-based firm Ieso Digital Health has secured $24m in a funding round led by venture capital firms Draper Esprit and Touchstone Innovations. Ieso aims to become a global leader in mental health delivery with its innovative and proven cognitive behavioral therapy. Delivered via text-messaging in a secure virtual room, the data from each session is analysed and machine learning is used to help teach therapists best practices. The new funding will be used to scale its technology in the UK and the US.


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Instagram apologises after removing image of child with deformity
 Instagram has apologized for taking down a photo of a boy with a facial disfigurement after another user reported it to the app’s content moderation team.

Twelve-year-old Harry Beswick was born with Goldenhar syndrome, which means he has no left eye, eye socket, nostril or left ear. His mother, Charlie, runs a parenting blog and Instagram account where she posts about parenting Harry and his twin brother Oliver.

Beswick posted a photo to Instagram in which Harry was not wearing his prosthetic eye. According to Charlie, another Instagram user reported the image, and when Instagram’s content moderation team reviewed it, they decided it breached community guidelines. The picture was removed.

Someone is reporting my son's face & #Instagram agree saying it doesn't meet their guidelines before removing it. RT to support me in this! pic.twitter.com/XxOvthBT5O — Charlie Beswick (@ouralteredlife) September 12, 2017

Beswick complained about the decision on social media, with a tweet that was shared thousands of times. In a longer Facebook post, she wrote: “What do you see when you look at my boy? I see the most beautiful smile, wonderful heart and purest love. Sadly some people on Instagram feel that it’s too much to look at and have reported a picture of him (again).

“I’m beyond disgusted. Instagram need to rectify this discrimination!”

Instagram’s community guidelines ban photos deemed “inappropriate for a diverse audience” including those that depict nudity, celebrate organized crime or terrorism, or glorify self-injury. The app also bans content used to bully or harass anyone because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability or injury.

In this case, the photo was removed for bullying, possibly because the reviewer misinterpreted the lighthearted comment that accompanied it as offensive.

Many people contacted Instagram to express outrage over the decision, and the photo was restored.

“We mistakenly removed the photo, but quickly restored it as soon as the mistake was brought to our attention,” said an Instagram spokeswoman. “We have apologized to the family.”

Once the photo was restored, Beswick, who lives in Stoke-on-Trent, edited the description to read: “Note to the person who reported the last image of my son like this. It’s his face. If you’re offended then scroll past. Shame on you!”

Instagram has a team of content moderators, called community operations analysts, who review millions of reports from users and automated systems a week.

This is not the first time they’ve made a mistake. In March, the photo blogger Morgan Bartley’s 110-pound weight loss was reported and removed.

“It sucks that people express negativity toward something with only positive intentions,” she wrote once the picture was restored.

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Instagram – and its parent company, Facebook – have also waged a continuing battle against the female nipple. This led to a campaign in 2015 that encouraged women to photoshop male nipples on to their topless photos to test the censorship policy.

Similarly, a trio of advertising students – Evelyn Wyss, Morgan-Lee Wagner and Marco Russo – set up the @genderless_nipples Instagram account in which they post close-up shots of nipples in which it’s impossible to determine the sex of the person they belong to.

In another case, Instagram reportedly confused a cake for a naked breast.

Output: Instagram has apologised after removing a photograph of a child with a facial deformity in response to a user complaint. Twelve-year old Harry Beswick has Goldenhar syndrome, which means he was born without a left eye, eye socket, nostril and ear. Beswick’s mother posted a photograph of Harry without his prosthetic eye, which was judged to breach community guidelines by the content moderation team. Instagram stated that the photograph had been removed due to bullying, after the misinterpretation of an accompanying comment. Following complaints by Harry’s mother and other users, the image was restored and an apology issued.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
FA to increase cybersecurity for World Cup in Russia
 The Football Association is increasing cyber security ahead of next summer’s World Cup due to hacking concerns.

The governing body is concerned that sensitive information such as injury, squad selection and tactical details could be exposed during the tournament in Russia.

The advice is understood to have been put into action by the FA already, but worries over data theft have increased following last month’s Fancy Bears hack regarding the use of banned medicines in football.

The hacking group claimed the information showed that 160 players had failed drugs tests in 2015, with the number rising to 200 the following year.

The FA has written to Fifa with its concerns about IT security, and is thought to be particularly concerned about the leaking of its own correspondence with the governing body.

An email from FA head of integrity Jenni Kennedy, which revealed details regarding four anti-doping cases in May 2017, was released in the August hack.

In response to the FA’s letter, a Fifa spokesman said: “Fifa has informed the FA that [it] remains committed to preventing security attacks in general and that, with respect to the Fancy Bears attack in particular, it is presently investigating the incident to ascertain whether Fifa’s infrastructure was compromised.

“Such investigation is still ongoing. For the purposes of computer security in general, Fifa is itself relying on expert advice from third parties.

“It is for this reason that Fifa cannot and does not provide any computer security advice to third parties.”

Bryan Campbell, senior security researcher at Fujitsu UK & Ireland believes that the cyber security lessons learned from the World Cup can be put in place for any business.

“The steps taken by the FA to strengthen its cybersecurity ahead of the 2018 World Cup are equally simple and effective,” he said.

“It’s been known that hackers can exploit Wi-Fi connections to compromise or steal user data, and consumers have been warned on numerous occasions not to access unknown Wi-Fi sources.

“Now that the FA will provide its own internet access and staff and players have been asked not to use Wi-Fi in hotels or cafes, hopefully we can see the general public become more aware of this danger and avoid putting their data at risk.

“The FA also advised players to think twice before posting anything on social media, such as photos that can reveal details of their location or personal information, and this should apply to all internet users. The greatest defences are often the least exciting, and consist of doing the basic IT housekeeping well.

“These efforts should not be limited to one country, and instead have to become a regular occurrence for organisations of every size, and in every industry.

“Using the analogy of the World Cup, the same way training becomes a lifestyle and does not begin only after the team has arrived at the tournament, security surrounding operational and technical standards should be well practised before cybercriminal strike next time.

“To prepare for a potential attack, it is vital organisations move to a proactive approach focusing on the integration of threat intelligence and other information sources to provide the context necessary to deal with today’s advanced cyber threats.

“Implementing a strong security education programme underpinned by a robust security framework will allow companies to get on the front foot in combating these types of threats.

“It would also be great to see more companies work together to raise awareness about these easy steps we all can take to protect ourselves online.

“Security is a non-competitive issue, and a team game not an individual sport.”

England, who is top of their World Cup qualifying group, will confirm their place in Russia with victory against Slovenia at Wembley in their next qualifier on 5 October.

FA officials are understood to be increasingly concerned about IT security in Russia, and have been boosting cyber counter-measures.

Practical measure have seen the governing body strengthen online firewalls and introduce encrypted passwords for websites and devices.Players are also expected to be reminded of existing guidelines relating to their use of social media.

Output: Officials at the Football Association have tightened their cybersecurity ahead of the World Cup tournament in Russia, amid fears of cyber attacks. The governing body has reportedly strengthened firewalls and introduced encrypted passwords for devices and websites, while players are set to be reminded of guidelines surrounding their use of social media. The move follows the recent hack by Russian group Fancy Bear, in which information about players who had failed drugs tests in 2015 was leaked.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Twitter aims to be top platform for video content in Asia Pacific
 Twitter has announced a slate of over 35 premium video content partnerships with the likes of Bloomberg, Fox Sports Asia, Riot Games and KBS in Asia Pacific and will offer in-stream video advertising to advertisers, starting with Australia.

Speaking to The Drum on the sidelines of All That Matters 2017, Maya Hari, Twitter’s managing director for Asia Pacific, explains that while these deals are a great value proposition for the audience, the platform wants to build its monetisation strategy around it by offering pre-roll and mid-roll advertising on its live feed.

Transparency issues like viewability and advertising fraud will also be a key part of Twitter’s pitch to advertisers, according to Hari.

“We offer the ability to do pre-roll advertising for snippet and highlights videos. This is for brands who want brand safe, premium content to associate with, while still getting social engagement out of it, so this the perfect opportunity for them,” says Hari.

“Brand safety and ad fraud are things that are important to our advertisers which we have taken care of in building our platform and product.

“In the regular format, we follow the IAB viewability standard and we also have a more stringent standard that we allow for 100% in-frame viewability at three seconds, which is what we call the 'Twitter standard', where we give the advertisers the option to choose what they want to buy.”

Even as Twitter is building its strategy in video, Hari dismisses the idea that the company has evolved from a social media platform to a purely broadcast company.

She explains that the company look at itself as a news platform that brings the best of what is happening in the world to consumers, but news in a looser definition of what is current, which includes sports, entertainment and current affairs.

“Do we see ourselves as purely a broadcaster? No. Do we see ourselves as a strong, synergistic partner to the content industry? Yes, as we have the distribution and monetisation capabilities,” says Hari.

“We also have an immense amount of data and insights because we are a public platform for these partners to reap rewards from.

“Do we expect Twitter to become the platform of choice for a consumer to go watch premium content in news, sports and entertainment? Absolutely.”

Looking ahead, Hari admits that the prospect of in-house programming is appealing, but is keen to stress that production is not Twitter’s greatest strength and will leave that aspect to content creators at the moment.

“At the moment, we do not have plans for that, but we do work with creators in informal capacity to do interesting interviews and snippets, but not in the long-form format, which is not our core strength,” notes Hari.

“We much rather leave quality production to our content partners and we bring our strength which is the distribution, conversation and engagement, which is a good marriage.

“It is not something that we experimenting with, but things can always change.”

In other parts of the world, Twitter also signed similar deals with BT Sport to showcase its football results, BuzzFeed news to broadcast a daily morning news show and with BBC to stream coverage of Wimbledon.

Output: Social media site Twitter is seeking to become the "platform of choice" for consumers seeking premium content in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, after agreeing a raft of partnerships with broadcasters, including Bloomberg, KBS in Asia Pacific, Riot Games and Fox Sports Asia, according to Maya Hari, Twitter’s managing director for APAC. She said advertisers would be offered pre-roll and mid-roll ads on its live feed, and added Twitter would focus on "distribution, conversation and engagement", and leave content creation to its partners.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
AMA demands EHR overhaul, calls them 'poorly designed and implemented'
 Primary care physicians spend more than half of their workday typing data on a computer screen and completing other EHR tasks, according to new research from the University of Wisconsin and the American Medical Association.

Researchers gleaned their findings from EHR event logs. Confirmed by direct observation data, they found that during a typical 11.4-hour workday, primary care physicians spent nearly six hours on data entry and other tasks with EHR systems. The study was published in the Annals of Family Medicine.

[Also: Doctors loathe their EHRs, right? Not these physicians]

“This study reveals what many primary care physicians already know – data entry tasks associated with EHR systems are significantly cutting into available time for physicians to engage with patients,” AMA President David O. Barbe, MD, a family physician from Mountain Grove, Missouri, said in a statement.

Barbe blames poorly designed and poorly implemented EHRs for the growing sense among physicians that they are neglecting their patients as they try to keep up with an overload of type-and-click tasks.

Doctor burnout rates are at more than 50 percent, according to Barbe.

An overhaul of EHR systems is needed to address the lack of actionable data for patient care; convoluted workflows that take time away from patients; and long hours added to difficult clinical days just to complete quality reporting and documentation requirements.

The AMA is calling for the implementation of eight priorities for improving EHR usability, calling for a reframing the design and configuration of EHR technology to emphasize the following priorities:

Enhance physicians' ability to provide high-quality patient care

Support team-based care

Promote care coordination

Offer product modularity and reconfigurability

Reduce cognitive workload

Promote data liquidity

Facilitate digital and mobile patient engagement

Expedite user input into product design and post-implementation feedback

The AMA said it recognizes that many of the recommendations can only be implemented in the long-term due to vendor product development life-cycles, limitations of current legacy systems and existing contracts, regulations and institutional policies.

“However, there is a great sense of urgency to improve EHRs because every patient encounter and the physician’s ability to provide high-quality care is affected by the current state of usability,” AMA writes in its call for action.

Twitter: @Bernie_HITN

Email the writer: bernie.monegain@himssmedia.com

Output: Primary care physicians spend more than half of their workday typing data on a computer screen and completing other EHR tasks, according to new research from the University of Wisconsin and the American Medical Association.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
FlyPulse partners with FlytBase to deploy defibrillator drones
 Heart disease remains the No. 1 global cause of death with 17.3 million deaths each year, according to “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2015 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.” That number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030, the report found.

A minuscule number of these patients get defibrillation in-time and survive. The time between the cardiac arrest and defibrillation of the patient is the most crucial factor for achieving higher survival rates.

FlyPulse, a Sweden based company, is building the next-generation technology, based on their specially-designed drones, to address this challenge. LifeDrone AED is a transportation drone, equipped with an automated external defibrillator (AED) — a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life threatening cardiac arrhythmias and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy.

“FlyPulse develops, sells and provide services with LifeDrone AED to medical and rescue service providers. Our system can improve the survival rate for people with cardiac arrest, where it is difficult to arrive with an AED in time with ambulances or other transportation,” explains Sebastian Wallman, Co-Founder and CEO of FlyPulse.

To reach their goal, FlyPulse needs to build and integrate a number of complex technologies. This includes the mechanical drone system, it’s payload, electronics, and the software to manage complete operations, with a high level of automation. Of course, they have to build a viable business model around this technology and make sure that the technology addresses the requirements of all key stakeholders.

Software plays a critical role in the success of this application. They need to integrate the following major modules:

Flight control and safety

Payload management

Cloud connectivity for remote telemetry and control

Fleet management through a centralized dashboard

Live video streaming for situational awareness and remote patient monitoring

Collision avoidance and airspace management

Integration with first responders’ applications, emergency help lines, messaging platforms

Authentication, security and fail-safe management

Custom user and operator mobile/web apps with status updates

After careful evaluation of their options, FlyPulse decided to partner with FlytBase, and leverage its products and expertise, to accelerate their drone application development.

Sebastian Wallman, CEO of FlyPulse, is excited to announce the partnership, “we get a very fast pace in our development with the help of FlytBase team and their products. Partnership with companies like FlytBase gives us the development speed we need.”

FlytBase offers the world’s most advanced drone software development platform, with “intelligence” and “connectivity” as its core features.

FlytOS, its operating system for drones is compatible with the widest range of drones and computer hardware platforms. This enables developers to make their applications agnostic to hardware. It provides a number of other capabilities, like, navigation and control, computer vision, payload management, authentication and security, machine learning, a simulator for testing, SDKs for web/mobile.

FlytBase Cloud extends a number of these capabilities to the cloud. It helps developers manage large fleets of drones, connect over wifi/4G networks, and easily integrate drones with other business applications.

FlytBase has deep expertise in drone technology and has won numbers of start-up awards for their innovation in product and business. They recently graduated from the Cisco Launchpad Accelerator program. Their team of experts has an extensive background in Aerospace, Computer Science, and Robotics.

Sebastian comments, “ very positive, helpful and skilled team. This is one of the most important reasons why we want to work with FlytBase.”

Nitin Gupta, CEO of FlytBase, adds, “FlytBase provides all the critical building-blocks to assist in quick assembly of complex drone applications. We look forward to working closely with FlyPulse team to help them build a successful professional product in the shortest possible time.”

Output: Swedish drone builder FlyPulse has partnered with Californian drone software developer FlytBase to build a drone capable of delivering automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in emergency situations. The drone will also be able to diagnose life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and treat them with defibrillation. With global heart disease-related deaths forecast to rise to more than 23.6 million per year by 2030, FlyPulse aims to improve survival rates by rapidly cutting down AED delivery times.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Lockheed Martin debuts 2 kg tube-launched drone
 LONDON — Lockheed Martin debuted a lightweight, tube-launched, micro unmanned aircraft system designed and built entirely in the U.K. that can be launched from platforms across domains and the services.

Dubbed Outrider, the UAS is 4 inches wide and weighs fewer than 2 kilograms. It can take off from helicopters, vehicles, surface ships and submarines and can also be hand-launched, according to Paul James, Lockheed Martin’s international business development manager for the UAS, who was at DSEI, a defense conference in London, England.

The company displayed its UAS on Tuesday at its booth on the showroom floor and provided footage of the UAS launching — at the press of a button — from a pool of water to simulate its capability to deploy subsurface at periscope depth from a submarine, from a vehicle and by hand.

The UAS has a folding wing structure in order to fit inside of a canister-launching system. Outrider can fly up to 50 knots and can stay aloft for two and a half hours. The payload sits on the back of the UAS and can be used during the day and at night.

Some scenarios Lockheed envisions for the Outrider include giving submarines the ability to stay undetected and to have deep situational awareness to support either a military operation or to get surveillance on shore over large areas, and “that information can come back to the submarine in real time,” James said.

“The same really goes for a military aircraft going through a hostile area where it might need to have an eye in the sky but doesn’t know when it needs to launch it,” he said, “or equally troops carrying hand-launched.”

The UAS is controlled by Lockheed’s common ground control station. James noted many customers that already have Lockheed drones, and said Outrider can fit into their inventories without a new controller entering the mix. The system can also fly completely autonomously in preprogrammed configurations, he added.

The UAS was developed through a partnership with Wirth Research, a U.K.-based engineering company with experience in aerodynamics and composite materials gained from work in the motor-racing world, James said.

Lockheed is poised to sell Outrider now, according to James, and since it was developed in the U.K. and can be sold in an International Traffic in Arms Regulations-free configuration, it “gives us a wide international market” in which to sell the UAS.

James said the company is looking for orders from first customers by year’s end.

Jen Judson is an award-winning journalist covering land warfare for Defense News. She has also worked for Politico and Inside Defense. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College.

Output: US defence company Lockheed Martin has unveiled a 2 kg miniature unmanned aircraft system (UAS) dubbed Outrider, which can be hand-launched and fly for more than two hours. Co-developed with UK-based engineering firm Wirth Research, Outrider could enable submarines to stay undetected, or offer military aircraft in a hostile area an "eye in the sky". Lockheed is expecting orders for the device by the end of the year.