The Costs of Wrongful-Discharge Laws

We estimate the effects on employment and wages of wrongful-discharge protections in the United States. Over the last three decades, most U.S. state courts have adopted one or more common law wrongful discharge doctrines that limit employers' discretion to terminate workers at-will. Using this cross-state variation with a difference-in-difference framework, we find robust evidence of a modest negative impact ( 0.8 to 1.6 percentage points) of one wrongful-discharge doctrine, the implied-contract exception, on employment to population rates in state labor markets. The short-term impact is most pronounced for female, younger, and less-skilled workers, while the longer term costs appear to be borne by older and more-educated workers those most likely to litigate under this doctrine. We find no robust employment or wage effects of two other widely recognized wrongful-discharge laws: the public -policy and good-faith exceptions. Published findings in the literature range from no effect to very large negative effects. We reanalyze the two leading studies and find the discrepancies can be explained by methodological shortcomings in the one case and limitations in the coding of key court decisions in the other.

Flavor Changing Neutral Current Effects and CP Violation in the Minimal 3-3-1 Model

We investigate in detail the flavor structure of the minimal 331 model and its implications for several flavor changing neutral current (FCNC) processes. In this model, where the weak SU(2)_L gauge group of the Standard Model is extended to a SU(3)_L, the by far dominant new contributions come from an additional neutral Z' gauge boson, that can transmit FCNCs at tree-level. At the same time, electroweak precision observables receive new contributions only at the loop level and do not constrain the model very strongly. In our analysis, we take into account new CP violating effects that have been neglected in earlier analyses, and account for a general flavor structure without reference to a certain parameterization of the new mixing matrix. We begin by studying the bounds obtained from quantities such as Delta M_K, epsilon_K, Delta M_{d/s} as well as sin 2 beta|_{J/psi K_S}, and go on to explore the implications for several clean rare decay channels, namely the decays K+->pi+ nu nu, K_L -> pi0 nu nu, B_{d/s} -> mu+ mu- and K_L -> pi0 l+l-. We find sizeable effects in all these decays, but the most interesting quantity turns out to be the B_s - bar B_s mixing phase beta_s, as measured in the mixing induced CP asymmetry of B_s -> J/psi phi, which can be large. In general, we find effects in purely hadronic channels to be larger than in (semi-)leptonic ones, due to a suppression of the Z'-lepton couplings.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figures, Some Comments and References added, version to appear in Phys Rev

Local flow management/profile descent algorithm. Fuel-efficient, time-controlled profiles for the NASA TSRV airplane

The Local Flow Management/Profile Descent (LFM/PD) algorithm designed for the NASA Transport System Research Vehicle program is described. The algorithm provides fuel-efficient altitude and airspeed profiles consistent with ATC restrictions in a time-based metering environment over a fixed ground track. The model design constraints include accommodation of both published profile descent procedures and unpublished profile descents, incorporation of fuel efficiency as a flight profile criterion, operation within the performance capabilities of the Boeing 737-100 airplane with JT8D-7 engines, and conformity to standard air traffic navigation and control procedures. Holding and path stretching capabilities are included for long delay situations

Design requirements and development of an airborne descent path definition algorithm for time navigation

The design requirements for a 4D path definition algorithm are described. These requirements were developed for the NASA ATOPS as an extension of the Local Flow Management/Profile Descent algorithm. They specify the processing flow, functional and data architectures, and system input requirements, and recommended the addition of a broad path revision (reinitialization) function capability. The document also summarizes algorithm design enhancements and the implementation status of the algorithm on an in-house PDP-11/70 computer. Finally, the requirements for the pilot-computer interfaces, the lateral path processor, and guidance and steering function are described

An investigation of TNAV equipped aircraft in a simulated en route metering environment

This document presents the results of an effort to estimate how often a TNAV (Time Navigation) equipped aircraft could be given a TNAV clearance in the En Route Metering (ERM) system as a function of the percentage of arriving traffic which is TNAV equipped. A fast-time simulation of Denver Stapleton international arrival traffic in the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center route structure, including en route metering operations, was used to develop data on estimated conflicts, clearance communications and fuel usage for traffic mixes of 25, 50, 75 and 100% TNAV equipped. This study supports an overall effort by NASA to assess the benefits and required technology for using TNAV-equipped aircraft in the ERM environment

The Treatment of Anxiety

Rational therapy requires accurate diagnosis. When we apply this precept to anxiety a fundamental question arises. Is anxiety an illness in terms of the now berated medical model which holds that an illness has a cause, a natural history, and hopefully a cure? Or is anxiety a basic aspect of the human condition, an innate pattern of response which becomes pathological when stress, induced by physiologic and social forces, is magnified out of proportion to the original stimulus? If the latter is true, then stress and social interactions are the causative factors, the anxiety only a reaction. Logically then, the condition of anxiety can be modified by alleviating stress or changing the social environment. Although there is no definitive answer to this major question concerning the nature of anxiety, we would like to present briefly some of the present knowledge about it

RELATION OF RHEUMATIC-LIKE CARDIAC LESIONS OF THE MOUSE TO LOCALIZATION OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCAL CELL WALLS

Mice injected intraperitoneally with isolated cell wall fragments of Group A streptococci develop a carditis similar to that previously observed in mice injected with crude extracts of this organism. Neither the soluble cytoplasmic components of Group A streptococcal cells nor the nonfragmented cell walls produced carditis in this experimental model. Fluorescein and 125I-labeled antibodies specific for Group A streptococcal cell wall antigens were used to demonstrate that, for 5 wk after injection, cell wall material is localized around the sites of active lesions in the heart. In addition, the cell wall antigen accumulates in the liver, spleen, mediastinal lymph nodes, and the adjacent loose connective tissue, where it persists for at least 10 wk

The Corn Belt Multi-State Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator: Not Reliable for Kentucky Corn Producers

Because of the rising price of nitrogen (N) fertilizer, university personnel across the country are in the process of fine tuning N recommendations for com. Historically, each state has had different N recommendations based on research results obtained in different production systems and growing environments across each state. Some states in the Com Belt have used a yield potential (yield goal) approach to N recommendations. The expected yield is multiplied by a factor (usually 1.2) and then N credits for previous crop, manure, etc. are subtracted. One problem with this method is that as com yields increase N recommendations also increase. While this might seem logical, some studies show that N requirements are rising at a much slower pace than com yield. This simply means the com plant is becoming a more efficient user of N. States using the yield goal approach are realizing that, with time, their recommendations are increasingly exceeding the needs of the crop. For this reason, they are considering alternatives to the yield goal approach

Waterfowl Trends in Back Bay, Virginia from 1954-1990

Back Bay, Virginia and Currituck Sound, North Carolina have long been noted and highly acclaimed as prime waterfowl wintering and migration areas. Although no formal waterfowl surveys were conducted prior to 1937, some gauge of waterfowl abundance can be obtained from harvest record examination. Harvest estimates based on extraordinarily well kept and recorded data of ten major waterfowl hunting clubs in Back Bay and Currituck Sound between 1872 and 1962 (Sincock, 1966) suggest that five million (5,000,000) ducks and 560,000 Canada geese were taken by hunting during that 90-year period. Waterfowl population trends in Back Bay for the 37-year period 1954-90 are the subject of this paper