Payroll employment data: measuring the effects of annual benchmark revisions

During the recovery from the 2001 recession, the business press and economic analysts used payroll employment data released monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as evidence of protracted weakness in the labor market. But using these monthly releases for this type of analysis can be premature and potentially misleading. The initial BLS releases can differ substantially from payroll employment data that are revised to incorporate information from less timely but more complete sources. ; This article highlights the historical revisions to the aggregate nonfarm payroll employment series. Examining both monthly survey-based revisions and the more extensive annual benchmark revisions, the authors focus specifically on how the sequence of data revisions modifies payroll employment estimates from their initial release. The graphs in the article display the magnitude and direction of each revision from the initial estimate for a particular month to its currently published value, demonstrating that the largest portion of enduring change for the estimates occurs in the benchmark revisions. ; The authors then investigate empirically whether these revisions contain information that can be exploited to anticipate future revisions. The analysis shows that previous benchmark data revisions are useful for explaining the variation in subsequent payroll employment benchmark data. Such information, the authors note, could prove useful for further research aimed at modeling better real-time estimates of employment conditions.Employment (Economic theory)

Preparation and Characterization of Water-Soluble Semiconductor Quantum Dots (QDs) for Bioconjugation

Semiconductor nanocrystals, or quantum dots (QDs), exhibit unique size-dependent optical properties. Absorption and emission peaks of QDs shift to longer wavelengths as their sizes are increased due to a quantum confinement effect. Quantum dots are suitable for biological applications due to their high fluorescence quantum yield and resistance to photo-bleaching. CdSe QD cores were synthesized by thermal pyrolysis of Cd and Se precursors in the organic solvent octadecene. To increase the fluorescence quantum yield and the stability of QDs, a CdS shell was grown by alternate additions of Cd and S precursors. To render the QDs soluble in water and to use them in biological applications, 3-mercaptopropionic acid was used. Absorption and fluorescence of the QDs were measured to understand the relation between the surface structure and optical properties. Protein molecules will be attached to water-soluble QDs for further assembly with biological molecules and DNA nanostructures

'Walking the talk': How companies succeed in managing risk at sea

This paper draws upon research about risk and risk management conducted with the support of The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust1. The wider research was large in scale comprising the analysis of over 2,300 questionnaires and a range of data relating to maritime incidents. In addition the study incorporated a detailed analysis of five case study companies. It is this latter element of the research which forms the basis for this paper which considers the differences in perceptions between shore-based, and ship-based, staff working for ship operators in relation to risk management. The paper explores the means of communication utilised for the transmission of data and ideas about safety and risk management both to, and from, management. It then goes on to consider why it is that despite considerable efforts to write and to talk about safety and risk management, many companies are unsuccessful in encouraging their sea-staff to believe that safety is a genuine company priority and therefore to adhere closely to company policy in relation to safety management

Exploration of Possible Quantum Gravity Effects with Neutrinos II: Lorentz Violation in Neutrino Propagation

It has been suggested that the interactions of energetic particles with the foamy structure of space-time thought to be generated by quantum-gravitational (QG) effects might violate Lorentz invariance, so that they do not propagate at a universal speed of light. We consider the limits that may be set on a linear or quadratic violation of Lorentz invariance in the propagation of energetic neutrinos, v/c=[1 +- (E/M_\nuQG1)] or [1 +- (E/M_\nu QG2}^2], using data from supernova explosions and the OPERA long-baseline neutrino experiment.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, proceedings for invited talk by A.Sakharov at DISCRETE'08, Valencia, Spain; December 200

Transference of Memory Strategies to Academic Learning and Memory Sports

Transference of Memory Strategies to Academic Learning and Memory Sports. Nicholas Solomon Ellis, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Valdosta State University Undergraduate Symposium Posters, 2016