The macroeconomics of happiness

We show that macroeconomic movements have strong effects on the happiness of nations. First, we find that there are clear microeconomic patterns in the psychological well-being levels of a quarter of a million randomly sampled Europeans and Americans from the 1970's to the 1990's. Happiness equations are monotonically increasing in income, and have a similar structure in different countries. Second, movements in reported well-being are correlated with changes in macroeconomic variables such as Gross Domestic Product. This holds true after controlling for the personal characteristics of respondents, country fixed-effects, year dummies, and country-specific time trends. Third, the paper establishes that recessions create psychic losses that extend beyond the fall in GDP and rise in the number of people unemployed. These losses are large. Fourth, the welfare state appears to be a compensating force: higher unemployment benefits are associated with higher national well-being

Preferences over inflation and unemployment : evidence from surveys of happiness

This paper has two aims. The first is to show that citizens care about these two variables. We present evidence that inflation and unemployment belong in a well-being function. The second is to calculate the costs of inflation in terms of unemployment. We measure the relative size of the weights attached to these variables in social well-being. Policy implications emerg

EVOLUTION OF ANTHROPOMETRICAL AND KINEMATIC PARAMETERS IN YOUNG SWIMMERS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Swimming kinematics parameters have been widely applied to measure the swimming skill in training and competitive situations. The descriptive study aim was to analyse the evolution of the swimming kinematics parameters related to anthropometrical data in the age-group. The data was obtained during the Winter National Age-Group (1994) and Junior (1996) Championships organized by the Royal Spanish Swimming Federation. Only those participanting in both championships were analysed in this study. The obtained results allow to conclude that the evolution observed in the kinematics variables and antropometrical variables in young swimmers shows the improvement in the speed depends SL resulting in part from the increase in anthropometrical variables

ANALYSIS OF INTER-TEMPORAL PRICING EFFICIENCY OF SORGHUM IN GUYUK LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined inter-temporal pricing efficiency of sorghum in Guyuk Local Government of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The sea- sonal price pattern of sorghum from1996-2006 was investigated using index number approach through the use of simple regression analysis. Average monthly storage cost of sorghum was estimated from the primary data collected. The findings revealed that female marketers dominated sorghum marketing in the study area and had one form of formal education or the other. Their marketing capital was mainly from personal savings with an initial investment capital of less that N10,000. There was the existence of seasonal variation in the price pattern of sorghum with an average monthly price rise of 8.97%, with September being the peak period and March being the lowest. Also, marketers were found to be efficient in sorghum marketing as revealed by the average monthly storage cost exceeding average monthly price rise of the commodity, thus establishing the existence of inter-temporal pricing efficiency

A survey of recent introduction events, spread and mitigation efforts of mynas (Acridotheres sp.) in Spain and Portugal

Un estudio sobre los recientes episodios de introducción, la propagación y las iniciativas de mitigación de los minás (Acridotheres sp.) en España y Portugal El miná común, Acridotheres tristis, está catalogado entre las 100 especies más invasoras del mundo. En el presente artículo combinamos las observaciones ya existentes con un estudio de campo para determinar los procesos de invasión de tres especies de minás en España y Portugal. Los resultados sugieren que hubo al menos 22 introducciones accidentales e independientes desde comienzos de los años 90 en la península ibérica y en tres archipiélagos. Si bien el miná oscuro (A. ginginianus) no ha llegado a establecerse, hay poblaciones reproductoras de miná común en cuatro islas. Las iniciativas de erradicación permitieron eliminar esas poblaciones insulares, pero la especie se mantiene en el estuario del Tajo (Portugal). En esta región existe también una población reproductora de miná crestado (A. cristatellus), que ha crecido exponencialmente en la última década. Es necesario combinar las campañas de erradicación con acciones preventivas, cuyo objetivo sea detener el comercio de estas especies en Europa, para evitar nuevas introducciones accidentales.The common myna Acridotheres tristis is listed among the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species. We combined previous records with a field survey to update the extent and fate of myna introductions in Spain and Portugal. Results suggest that there have been at least 22 independent accidental introductions of three myna species throughout the Iberian peninsula and three archipelagos since the early 1990s. While bank mynas (A. ginginianus) did not become established elsewhere, common mynas reached breeding populations on four islands. Eradication efforts allowed the extirpation of these breeding island populations, but common mynas continue to breed in the Tagus Estuary (continental Portugal). In this region, there is also a breeding population of crested mynas (A. cristatellus), which was undergone an exponential population growth in the last decade. To avoid further accidental introductions, eradication campaigns should be combined with preventive actions aiming to stop the trade of these species in Europe.Un estudio sobre los recientes episodios de introducción, la propagación y las iniciativas de mitigación de los minás (Acridotheres sp.) en España y Portugal El miná común, Acridotheres tristis, está catalogado entre las 100 especies más invasoras del mundo. En el presente artículo combinamos las observaciones ya existentes con un estudio de campo para determinar los procesos de invasión de tres especies de minás en España y Portugal. Los resultados sugieren que hubo al menos 22 introducciones accidentales e independientes desde comienzos de los años 90 en la península ibérica y en tres archipiélagos. Si bien el miná oscuro (A. ginginianus) no ha llegado a establecerse, hay poblaciones reproductoras de miná común en cuatro islas. Las iniciativas de erradicación permitieron eliminar esas poblaciones insulares, pero la especie se mantiene en el estuario del Tajo (Portugal). En esta región existe también una población reproductora de miná crestado (A. cristatellus), que ha crecido exponencialmente en la última década. Es necesario combinar las campañas de erradicación con acciones preventivas, cuyo objetivo sea detener el comercio de estas especies en Europa, para evitar nuevas introducciones accidentales

ANALYSIS OF TETHERED SWIMMING FORCE, TETHERED SWIMMING POWER, SWIMMING SPEED AND ANTROPOMETRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG SWIMMERS IN CRAWL STROKE

Propulsive forces, instantaneous power and swimming velocity in semi-tethered swimming were measured in a group of 69 competitive swimmers. Also, isometric force in laboratory, best 15 m swimming velocity and 100 m freestyle personal mark and anthropometric characteristics were recorded. The results show the high relationship between swimming speed and the propulsive forces, and the instantaneous power. Consequently, the above mentioned variables can be useful for the evaluation of the swimmers along a season