I'm guessing the notation is what the effect of the long exposure would actually BE. For instance N+1 means that the long exposure actually causes an effective N+1 contrast increase, which would need to be compensated by a N-1 contraction. This is just a guess, though.
I use the BTZS reciprocity information in their palm pilot program, and it handles all that development compensation and contrast adjustment stuff with aplomb, so I can just concentrate on the photograph. I know a lot of people think its a sissy way of calculating exposure, but I'd rather be a 'sissy' with a great negative than 'burly man' trying to turn a rotten negative into a great print.
Clay
"It takes a big man to be able to cry, but it takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man"
--- Jack Handey