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Enhanced business reporting (EBR) seeks to address the information needs of investors when making company valuations for investment decisions. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relevance for market valuation of EBR disclosures that are directly related to firm valuation (value-based reporting (VBR)).

Data are hand collected from annual reports of German publicly listed companies over five years. The content analysis is based on the valuation-related disclosure framework of the German Schmalenbach Society of Business Administration. A 2SLS approach accounts for potential endogeneity.

Share-based compensation, leverage, corporate size, and share volatility are significant determinants of VBR. The level of VBR is significantly associated with market values and provides additional market value explanatory power, indicating its relevance to investors in the process of valuation and decision making. Also, the relevance of book value and earnings for explaining market values increases for firms with better VBR. The findings are robust to the exclusion of banks and assurance companies and to alternative model and variable specifications.

The research contributes to the literature on voluntary disclosures by testing an EBR framework explicitly derived from valuation theory. The results provide indirect evidence of the investors’ use of respective valuation techniques in decision making. A contribution is made to the value relevance literature by showing that valuation-related disclosures constitute a suitable proxy for “other information” in the Ohlson’s (1995) model. Such disclosures complement traditional accounting metrics, i.e. book value and earnings, as basis for valuations. Potential caveats relate to the content analysis of annual reports and the endogeneity of voluntary disclosures.

This paper informs the debate on further developments of EBR in helping to identify important components thereof.

Streaming audio/video contents over the Internet requires large network bandwidth and timely delivery of media data. A streaming session is generally long and also needs a large I/O bandwidth at the streaming server. A streaming server, however, has limited network and I/O bandwidth. For this reason, a streaming server alone cannot scale a streaming service well. An entire audio/video media file often cannot be cached due to intellectual property right concerns of the content owners, security reasons, and also due to its large size. This makes a streaming service hard to scale using conventional proxy servers. Media file compression using variable‐bit‐rate (VBR) encoding is necessary to get constant quality video playback although it produces traffic bursts. Traffic bursts either waste network bandwidth or cause hiccups in the playback. Large network latency and jitter also cause long start‐up delay and unwanted pauses in the playback, respectively. In this paper, we propose a proxy based constant‐bit‐rate (CBR)‐transmission scheme for VBR‐encoded videos and a scalable streaming scheme that uses a CBRtransmission scheme to stream stored videos over the Internet. Our CBR‐streaming scheme allows a server to transmit a VBRencoded video at a constant bit rate, close to its mean encoding bit rate, and deals with the network latency and jitter issues efficiently in order to provide quick and hiccup free playback without caching an entire media file. Our scalable streaming scheme also allows many clients to share a server stream. We use prefix buffers at the proxy to cache the prefixes of popular videos, to minimize the start‐up delay and to enable near mean bit rate streaming from the server as well as from the proxy. We use smoothing buffers at the proxy not only to eliminate jitter and traffic burst effects but also to enable many clients to share the same server stream. We present simulation results to demonstrate the effectiveness of our streaming scheme.

As the real‐time applications used in today's wireless network grow, some schemes are required to provide better quality of services. From the evaluation of referenced scheduling scheme provided in IEEE 802.11e standard document, we know that it does not perform well on traffic which is not strictly constant‐bit‐rate (CBR). Therefore, it is necessary to design a more flexible scheme to dynamically adjust the estimation of transmission opportunity allocated to QoS‐enhanced stations with different characteristics of applications. This paper aims to present a data rate estimation algorithm for the scheduler of the IEEE 802.11e hybrid coordination function controlled channel access.

The performance of the algorithm is evaluated through Network Simulator ‐2.

With the proposed algorithm, the QoS access point can provide guaranteed parameters such as delay and throughput for both the real‐time variable‐bit‐rate and CBR traffics.

The paper presents a data rate estimation algorithm for IEEE 802‐11e HCCA scheduler.

To retain consumer attention and increase purchasing rates, many e-commerce vendors have adopted content-based recommender systems. However, apart from text-based documents, there is little theoretical background guiding element selection, resulting in a limited content analysis problem. Another inherent problem is overspecialization. The purpose of this paper is to establish a value-based recommendation methodology for identifying favorable attributes, benefits, and values on the basis of means-end chain theory. The identified elements and the relationships between them were utilized to construct a recommender system without incurring either problem.

This study adopted soft laddering and content analysis to collect popular elements. The relationships between the elements were established by using a hard laddering online questionnaire. The elements and the relationships were utilized to build a hierarchical value map (HVM). A mathematical model was then devised on the basis of the HVM to predict user preferences of attributes.

The results of a performance comparison showed that the proposed method outperformed the content-based attribute recommendation method and a hybrid method by 39 and 68 percent, respectively.

Although hybrid methods have been proposed to resolve the problem of overspecialization in content-based recommender systems, such methods have incurred “cold start” and “sparsity” problems. The proposed method can provide recommendations without causing these problems while outperforming the content-based and hybrid approaches.

The purpose of this paper is to explore links between the staff values and skills identified by Davies and Matuska and other literature. The commentary aims to place these values and skills in the context of established approaches to working with people with learning disabilities, to explore their impact on recruitment and to outline limitations on their applications.

The commentary explores the implications of Davies and Matuska’s findings, relating these to previous research and policy literature.

The commentary argues that it is important to stress the complexity of working with people with learning disabilities and the qualities of workers required. In addition, the importance of values-based recruitment (VBR) is also supported. Finally, the commentary points to the importance of creative ways of overcoming the limitations presented by current austerity policies.

The commentary links characteristics and skills of staff valued by people with learning disabilities with person-centred care and VBR.

As Chinese massage is increasingly popular, many physicians are needed these days. In order to promote the experience and skills of experts and reduce labour intensity during massage, a massage robot, which could reproduce the expert techniques with individualized manipulation parameters and enhanced safety control strategies, is presented in this paper.

The kinematic and force features of key massage techniques, such as Thumb Kneading, Pressing, Rolling, Vibrating and Pinching, are summarized by analyzing the massage processes of expert physicians, and a mathematical model for robotic massage is established. With safety issues taken into account, the overall system structure of the massage robot is proposed. The system generally consists of a positioning platform and a massage end‐effector which implements the massage techniques, and the end‐effector is further divided into a parallel mechanism and a massage hand to accommodate different techniques. Visual tracking is used for positioning acupuncture points by recognizing markers on a massage vest worn by the patient. A pain threshold value is introduced to individualize therapy schemes and a force‐position control method based on the pain threshold is presented.

VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) tests for lumbar muscle strain are carried out using the massage robot, and the treatment effect of the massage robot based on traditional Chinese massage therapy theory is initially validated.

The treatment effect of the massage robot needs to be assessed clinically for more occasions and more clinical experiments will be conducted, to optimize the configuration and control strategy to meet the clinical needs in future work.

The robotic massage system presented in this paper is acting on acupuncture points based on traditional Chinese massage therapy theory, with human manipulation techniques reproduced and expert experiences incorporated. The massage robot can take the place of a massager to perform Chinese massage. Most of the massage robotic systems published in the world perform only one massage technique and the whole massage process is not completely considered. By comparison, the authors' massage robot could perform five techniques. Furthermore, the authors have designed the procedure of robotic massage specifically for patients who suffer from lumbar muscle strain.

Research on the processes by which universities select candidates for nursing courses has tended to focus on the development and application of standardised methods. This methodological emphasis has extended to research on “values-based” selection in nursing, which is intended to sustain discrimination between applicants on the basis of their “personal values”. The purpose of this paper is to expand the range of methodological resources available for research on values-based selection, by examining how this is done in practice – by contrast to how it should be done. We analyse interactions between selectors, applicants and various materials deployed during the interview processes to show how values are made manifest, empirically. We conclude by discussing the implications of treating values as interactional achievements, rather than essentialised – i.e. purely “personal” – attributes.

We draw on methodological principles associated with actor network theory (ANT), which aims to describe how facts are produced through interactions between various actors. Data are presented from an ethnographic study of selection events at three UK universities. Our methods consisted of observation of selection events and interviews with academic staff, administrators and service users and carers, all of whom were involved in selecting candidates.

When selection is treated methodologically as a social practice and analysed empirically as an ongoing series of interactions, “personal values” can be seen as the effects of a negotiation during which connections are formed between different actors – i.e. elements involved in the selection process. Difference and same-ness in values become visible as the effects of “translation”, in the sense defined in the ANT literature, rather than as fixed attributes which precede selection.

This study makes an original contribution to research on values-based selection by analysing how this is done in practice.

Pervasive services and smart environments are becoming more and more popular as an ever‐increasing number of people enjoys these services typically by means of portable devices. These devices are battery‐fed and, thus, energy efficiency is a critical factor for the deployment of pervasive services. In this paper we focus on multimedia streaming services for mobile users. Specifically, we consider a scenario where mobile users with Wi‐Fi devices access the Internet to receive audio files from a remote streaming server. We propose a proxybased architecture and an energy‐efficient streaming protocol that minimize the energy consumption of the Wi‐Fi interface at the mobile device, while guaranteeing the real‐time constraints of the audio streaming. The experimental analysis performed on a prototype implementation shows that our solution allows an energy saving ranging from 76% to 91% of the total consumption due to the network interface. Moreover, it also preserves a good user‐level Quality of Service.

Resources and their analysis are essential to understand better companies’ internal and external dynamics and the weight each has in obtaining competitive advantages over the competition. This study aims to address the law and legal knowledge as a fundamental resource for companies to succeed in the markets to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage.

Based upon a sample of 200 managers, a structural equation model was used to validate the hypotheses under study.

Results show awareness and managers’ perception of the importance of law as a resource and its advantages for companies and the dichotomy between recognising this importance and not using it consistently.

Knowing the scope of business law and its growing importance for companies and being academically aware of the inexistence of studies that analyse the law as an individualised resource for companies, this study has a crucial contribution to the interconnection of these two fields – business and law.

Os recursos e suas análises são essenciais para compreender melhor a dinâmica interna e externa das empresas e o peso que cada uma tem na obtenção de vantagens competitivas sobre a concorrência. Esta investigação aborda o direito e o conhecimento jurídico como recursos fundamentais para que as empresas tenham sucesso nos mercados para obter uma vantagem competitiva sustentada.

Com base numa amostra de 200 gestores, foi utilizado um modelo de equações estruturais (MEE) para validar as hipóteses em estudo.

Os resultados mostram a consciência e a percepção dos gestores sobre a importância do direito como recurso e suas vantagens para as empresas e a dicotomia entre reconhecer essa importância e não a usarem de forma consistente.

Conhecendo o âmbito do direito empresarial e a sua crescente importância para as empresas e, academicamente ciente da inexistência de estudos que analisem o direito como recurso individualizado para as empresas, este estudo tem um contributo crucial para a interligação destes dois campos – negócios e direito.

Los recursos y su análisis son fundamentales para comprender mejor la dinámica interna y externa de las empresas y el peso que cada una tiene en la obtención de ventajas competitivas frente a la competencia. Esta investigación aborda el derecho y el conocimiento jurídico como recursos fundamentales para que las empresas triunfen en los mercados y obtengan una ventaja competitiva sostenida.

Con base en una muestra de 200 gerentes, se utilizó un modelo de ecuaciónes estructurales (MEE) para validar las hipótesis en estudio.

Los resultados muestran la conciencia y percepción de los gerentes sobre la importancia del derecho como recurso y sus ventajas para las empresas y la dicotomía entre reconocer esta importancia y no usarla de manera consistente.

Conociendo el alcance del derecho empresarial y su creciente importancia para las empresas y, académicamente consciente de la falta de estudios que analicen el derecho como recurso individual para las empresas, este estudio tiene un aporte crucial para la interconexión de estos dos campos – negocios y derecho.

The purpose of this paper is to explore grid‐based routing in wireless sensor networks and to compare the energy available in the network over time for different grid sizes.

The test area is divided into square‐shaped grids of certain length. Energized nodes are placed randomly in the terrain area with the sink node in a fixed position. One node per grid is elected as the leader node based on the highest energy level and the proximity to the centre of the grid. The sink node floods the network to identify a path from sink to source. The path from the sink to the source through the leader nodes are computed using three different methods: shortest path; leader nodes which have the highest energy; and leader nodes based on their received signal strength (RSS) indicator values. After the path is computed, transmission of data is continued until the leader nodes run out of energy. New leader nodes are then elected using the same mechanism to replace the depleted ones.

Identified the optimal grid size to minimize the energy consumption in sensor networks and to extend the network lifetime. Also proposed is a new routing protocol which identifies routes based on energy threshold and RSS threshold.

The use of RSS threshold is identified to be the good metric for path selection in routing the data between source and the sink.

Simulator software and the protocol developed can be used for in optimizing energy efficiency in sensor networks.

This work contributes to the discussion on uniform and non‐uniform grid sizes and emphasizes a new method for reducing the energy consumption by identifying an optimum grid size. It also utilizes bursty data for simulation.