Genomic sequencing capacity, data retention, and personal access to raw data in Europe

Whole genome/exome sequencing (WGS/WES) has become widely adopted in research and, more recently, in clinical settings. Many hope that the information obtained from the interpretation of these data will have medical benefits for patients and—in some cases—also their biological relatives. Because of the manifold possibilities to reuse genomic data, enabling sequenced individuals to access their own raw (uninterpreted) genomic data is a highly debated issue. This paper reports some of the first empirical findings on personal genome access policies and practices. We interviewed 39 respondents, working at 33 institutions in 21 countries across Europe. These sequencing institutions generate massive amounts of WGS/WES data and represent varying organisational structures and operational models. Taken together, in total, these institutions have sequenced ∼317,259 genomes and exomes to date. Most of the sequencing institutions reported that they are able to store raw genomic data in compliance with various national regulations, although there was a lack of standardisation of storage formats. Interviewees from 12 of the 33 institutions included in our study reported that they had received requests for personal access to raw genomic data from sequenced individuals. In the absence of policies on how to process such requests, these were decided on an ad hoc basis; in the end, at least 28 requests were granted, while there were no reports of requests being rejected. Given the rights, interests, and liabilities at stake, it is essential that sequencing institutions adopt clear policies and processes for raw genomic data retention and personal access

Implementation plan of health and safety processes

An auditor was asked to review an organisation’s Health and Safety procedures to assess compliance with the new legislation imposed by The Health and Safety Act 2015. Then the organisation approached an internal source to conduct a strategic plan in order to target issues of health and safety risk. An implementation plan will be designed to achieve the auditors recommendations and improve the organisation’s Health and Safety practices. Research and audit of the current policies and procedures used at the organisation must be conducted in order to gain a better understanding of the current issues and from there develop action plans and a strategy on how to reach those action plans. Current documentation of policies and an interview with management will be analysed to detail the potential action plans.Once the research has been conducted, results will be used to determine conclusions

The implications of tax on a small business in New Zealand

Small businesses have little resources but must pay tax, so this investigation reports on the implications of tax on a small business. Literature is to be searched to identify the implications for small businesses

AI management an exploratory survey of the influence of GDPR and FAT principles

As organisations increasingly adopt AI technologies, a number of ethical issues arise. Much research focuses on algorithmic bias, but there are other important concerns arising from the new uses of data and the introduction of technologies which may impact individuals. This paper examines the interplay between AI, Data Protection and FAT (Fairness, Accountability and Transparency) principles. We review the potential impact of the GDPR and consider the importance of the management of AI adoption. A survey of data protection experts is presented, the initial analysis of which provides some early insights into the praxis of AI in operational contexts. The findings indicate that organisations are not fully compliant with the GDPR, and that there is limited understanding of the relevance of FAT principles as AI is introduced. Those organisations which demonstrate greater GDPR compliance are likely to take a more cautious, risk-based approach to the introduction of AI

A strategy for a university cafe during holidays

With no existing strategy for a cafe business and a highly competitive market, the organisation requires a planned strategy. This research proposes to research a café to determine the best strategy for the organisation. A questionnaire will collect quantitative and qualitative data and the organisation will be observed to determine business strategies

Identifying successful sales and marketing strategies that affect customer loyalty in a coffee shop

.Most small businesses such as coffee shops are concerned with customer loyalty and satisfaction, and increasing profitability. Marketing strategy becomes important when customer loyalty is low. The aim of this research is to identify sales that affect customer loyalty in a small coffee shop and to investigate the relationship between effective marketing strategies and customer loyalty, using a survey of customers

Rating system in Food delivery

A small business in food delivery has much competition. The organisation delivers food in food trucks at local markets. The aim of this research is to examine how a rating system will impact on the quality of goods and services and customer satisfaction levels. This research will accomplish the aim in three steps: examine the current state of food trucks, investigate the potential of a rating system, and identify further avenues to use rating systems efficiently. A survey of customers will be used to gather quantitative data and an interview to gather qualitative data

Cybersecurity Strategies for Universities With Bring Your Own Device Programs

The bring your own device (BYOD) phenomenon has proliferated, making its way into different business and educational sectors and enabling multiple vectors of attack and vulnerability to protected data. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore the strategies information technology (IT) security professionals working in a university setting use to secure an environment to support BYOD in a university system. The study population was comprised of IT security professionals from the University of California campuses currently managing a network environment for at least 2 years where BYOD has been implemented. Protection motivation theory was the study\u27s conceptual framework. The data collection process included interviews with 10 IT security professionals and the gathering of publicly-accessible documents retrieved from the Internet (n = 59). Data collected from the interviews and member checking were triangulated with the publicly-accessible documents to identify major themes. Thematic analysis with the aid of NVivo 12 Plus was used to identify 4 themes: the ubiquity of BYOD in higher education, accessibility strategies for mobile devices, the effectiveness of BYOD strategies that minimize risk, and IT security professionals\u27 tasks include identifying and implementing network security strategies. The study\u27s implications for positive social change include increasing the number of users informed about cybersecurity and comfortable with defending their networks against foreign and domestic threats to information security and privacy. These changes may mitigate and reduce the spread of malware and viruses and improve overall cybersecurity in BYOD-enabled organizations

Cybersecurity Strategies for Universities With Bring Your Own Device Programs

The bring your own device (BYOD) phenomenon has proliferated, making its way into different business and educational sectors and enabling multiple vectors of attack and vulnerability to protected data. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore the strategies information technology (IT) security professionals working in a university setting use to secure an environment to support BYOD in a university system. The study population was comprised of IT security professionals from the University of California campuses currently managing a network environment for at least 2 years where BYOD has been implemented. Protection motivation theory was the study\u27s conceptual framework. The data collection process included interviews with 10 IT security professionals and the gathering of publicly-accessible documents retrieved from the Internet (n = 59). Data collected from the interviews and member checking were triangulated with the publicly-accessible documents to identify major themes. Thematic analysis with the aid of NVivo 12 Plus was used to identify 4 themes: the ubiquity of BYOD in higher education, accessibility strategies for mobile devices, the effectiveness of BYOD strategies that minimize risk, and IT security professionals\u27 tasks include identifying and implementing network security strategies. The study\u27s implications for positive social change include increasing the number of users informed about cybersecurity and comfortable with defending their networks against foreign and domestic threats to information security and privacy. These changes may mitigate and reduce the spread of malware and viruses and improve overall cybersecurity in BYOD-enabled organizations

Chief Privacy Officer Role and Organizational Transformation in the Digital Economy

With increased digitalization and the evolving digital economy, consumers, regulating agencies, and business partners alike demand more transparency for organizational privacy practices, generating increased pressure on organizations to establish privacy programs and initiatives. The Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) role is central to the development of these privacy initiatives and is becoming more strategic. However, the role of the CPO appears to vary significantly across organizations. This study aims to investigate how an organization\u27s privacy initiatives implementation influences the CPO role and understand how an organization needs to transform to support the emerging CPO roles in the digital economy. We present our initial findings and elaborate on a transformation model that shows the stages an organization follow to support the CPO role strategically