In this paper we try to measure oil price uncertainty. The measure of uncertainty is based on the conditional standard deviations. The time-varying conditional standard deviations are estimated using univariate (G)ARCH moels. We focus on volatility of the price of a barrel Brent crude, over the...

Abstract We analyse the development of world records speed skating from 1893 to 2000 for both men and women. The historical data show that it is likely that the relation between skating speed and distance of the various events is non-linear and converges to a limit value. We pay special...

The paper considers a (static) portfolio system that satisfies adding-up contraints and the gross substitution theorem. The paper shows the relationship of the two conditions to the weak dominant diagonal property of the matrix of interest rate elasticities. This enables to investigate the...

This paper analyses the effect of rising wage rates and real interest rates on labour productivity and capital productivity in a situation of capital shortage. Furthermore, it shows the effect of rising wage rates and real interest rates on the capital intensity of the production process. This...

The effectiveness of policies to reduce the use of energy depend on the elasticity of substitution between the various inputs and on the rate of technological progress. This paper presents a theoretical model emphasising energy investments’ characteristics of uncertainty and irreversibility...

This paper explains growth of labour productivity through (inter)national spillovers from R&D and patenting. We develop a formal model that is tested for Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America using a new set of panel data. The results indicate that, for the period...

The current paper predicts the medal tally for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The forecast procedure consists of analyzing participation and success at the country level of the three most recent editions of the Olympic Summer Games. Potential explanatory variables for medal winnings are income...

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has aected many regions including Latin America. This paper focuses on currency crises in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. We estimate an Early Warning System, consisting of a dynamic factor model and an ordered logit model, with monthly data for 1990-2007. Ex ante...

Stature is increasingly popular among economic historians as a proxy for (biological) standard of living. Recently, researchers have started branching out from written sources to the study of stature from skeletal remains. Current methods for the reconstruction of stature from the skeleton...

This paper explores the relationship between height and its explanatory variables, explicitly paying attention to dynamics involved in the velocity of growth. We establish that the relationship is characterized by a changing lag pattern. We try to illustrate this with recently published data on...