This is the thirteenth workshop to be organised under the postgraduate programmes in electrical and electronic engineering (EEE). In total, twenty-nine papers, divided into eight themes, comprise the Proceedings.

This thesis focuses on examining key competitive strategies for multinational corporations(MNCs) operating in emerging markets, and what factors contribute to the success or failureof these strategies. Also, this research will study how MNCs can adapt competitive strategiesto fit emerging market characteristics and local market conditions. It will also examine thefactors of variation for competitive strategies across different emerging markets.The empirical findings in this study were acquired using a qualitative single case study of anMNC operating in international markets. The findings were gathered through semi-structuredinterviews to then be analysed and discussed with the literature review to highlight differencesand similarities.The conclusion of this thesis displays competitive strategies used by MNCs in emergingmarkets and the factors that impact success or failure. The single case study of NIBEgenerated examples of competitive strategies in emerging markets, more specifically howacquisition and subsidiaries were used to adapt to local market characteristics. Factorsaffecting the success or failure of MNCs are institutions, networks, local regulations andnorms, together with local market conditions.

Campylobacter enteritis in humans is primarily associated with C. jejuni/coli infection. Other species cause campylobacteriosis relatively infrequently; while this could be attributed to bias in diagnostic methods, the pathogenicity of non-jejuni/coli Campylobacter spp. such as C. upsaliensis and C. helveticus (isolated from dogs and cats) is uncertain. Galleria mellonella larvae are suitable models of the mammalian innate immune system and have been applied to C. jejuni studies. This study compared the pathogenicity of C. jejuni, C. upsaliensis, and C. helveticus isolates. Larvae inoculated with either C. upsaliensis or C. helveticus showed significantly higher survival than those inoculated with C. jejuni. All three Campylobacter species induced indistinguishable histopathological changes in the larvae. C. jejuni could be isolated from inoculated larvae up to eight days post-inoculation whereas C. upsaliensis and C. helveticus could only be isolated in the first two days. There was a significant variation in the hazard rate between batches of larvae, in Campylobacter strains, and in biological replicates as random effects, and in species and bacterial dose as fixed effects. The Galleria model is applicable to other Campylobacter spp. as well as C. jejuni, but may be subject to significant variation with all Campylobacter species. While C. upsaliensis and C. helveticus cannot be considered non-pathogenic, they are significantly less pathogenic than C. jejuni.

The performance of an aerated horizontal subsurface flow treatment wetland was investigated before, during and after a simulated aeration failure. Conventional wastewater parameters (e.g., carbonaceous biological oxygen demand, total nitrogen, and Escherichia coli) as well as selected micropollutants (caffeine, ibuprofen, naproxen, benzotriazole, diclofenac, acesulfame, and carbamazepine) were investigated. Furthermore, the removal of biological effects was investigated using in vitro bioassays. The six bioassays selected covered environmentally relevant endpoints (indicative of activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor, AhR; binding to the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, PPARγ; activation of estrogen receptor alpha, ERα; activation of glucocorticoid receptor, GR; oxidative stress response, AREc32; combined algae test, CAT). During the aeration interruption phase, the water quality deteriorated to a degree comparable to that of a conventional (non-aerated) horizontal subsurface flow wetland. After the end of the aeration interruption, the analytical and biological parameters investigated recovered at different time periods until their initial treatment performance. Treatment efficacy for conventional parameters was recovered within a few days, but no complete recovery of treatment efficacy could be observed for bioassays AhR, AREc32 and CAT in the 21 days following re-start of the aeration system. Furthermore, the removal efficacy along the flow path for most of the chemicals and bioassays recovered as it was observed in the baseline phase. Only for the activation of AhR and AREc32 there was a shift of the internal treatment profile from 12.5% to 25% (AhR) and 50% (AREc32) of the fractional length.

The relationship between national culture and CSR has received increased attention over the past few decades. However, to date, the results of this relationship are inconclusive as they show positive, negative, and non-significant results. Moreover, the results are outdated as only the first four dimensions of the Hofstede framework have been researched thoroughly, while the two newest dimensions have received very little attention with regards to their relationship to CSR. The key objective of this study is to contribute to the debate by testing the influence of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, long-term orientation, and indulgence on CSR. This is done by analyzing 215 companies from 23 different countries, which are on the Forbes 2000 list. Furthermore, the moderating role of state of development is assessed in this context, by using the distinction made in the MSCI ACWI Index. By conducting a moderated multiple regression analysis, mixed results were found on the influence of national culture on CSR, which could be ascribed to a difference in sample. Moreover, the influence of state of development was not significant in the main regression, however, it gave interesting opportunities for future research. The findings of this study thereby add to the body of knowledge on national culture, CSR, and state of development, and provide several theoretical and managerial implications.

This study explored the perspectives of speech language pathologists and school psychologists, to identify the systemic challenges they identified that negatively impact how emerging bilingual students are referred, assessed, and identified for special education. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 6 speech language pathologists and 6 school psychologists (n=12) to explore these challenges and barriers, as well as to look at the systems of belief present on campuses, that impact this process. Using a systems thinking framework and detailed inductive analysis of the data many themes emerged related to barriers such as difficulty finding an interpreter and ensuring that interpreter was reliable in their translations, limited access to bilingual resources, and inconsistent and unclear referral systems. Moreover, participants reported that many biases related to race and culture were present on their campuses and impacted how emerging bilingual students were referred for assessment. This study’s findings indicate a need for changes to be made at the federal, state, district, and school levels to address the various challenges present and to improve the overall system.

Thesis advisor: Jane Flanagan / Background: Over the past decade, increasing numbers of emerging adults, defined as ages 18 to 22, have journeyed to the United States (US) from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Upon arrival to the US, many experience inequities in health and healthcare access. The inequities are shaped by US political practices and choices attributed to broad structural and systemic-level barriers within planetary, social, economic and necropolitical forces. Applying a critical framework of antiracism, anti-oppression and anticolonialism, nurses and other healthcare providers must seek to understand the health patterning and life experiences of emerging adult im/migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador so that their health and healthcare needs may be supported. Approach: This qualitative research project aimed to explore health patterning of emerging adult immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador using the nursing specific research praxis of Health as Expanding Consciousness (HEC). The second aim explored themes across the group. Critical posthuman, feminist, and new materialist assumptions also informed the approach to the study. Between June 2021 to November 2022 thirteen emerging adult participants from Guatemala and Honduras were interviewed twice. Enrollment occurred through community-based recruitment and snowball sampling methods. Each person’s individual story was explored using the HEC praxis method. Results: Participants’ stories uncovered unique profiles with situated, context-specific individual health patterning. Four themes were identified across stories using the qualitative analytic method of Sort and Sift, Think and Shift: Family is Fundamental, The Journey Holds Meaning, Opportunities Exist Amidst Constraints, and Movement and Art are Healing. Conclusions: The discussion section reviews main implications for building critical nursing praxis; understanding intersections of health, nursing care and human mobility; advancing nursing policy for people excluded from care; advancing research using HEC praxis as a caring act of accompaniment; and transforming nursing education for social justice and radical possibility. Im/migration and asylum-seeking were viewed as fundamental human rights including critically advancing the right to health and safety for people in mobility contexts. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

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