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The main point of this article is to debunk the idea that the global monetary and financial system simply intermediates savings across countries. A corollary of this idea is that US hegemony derives from the recycling of the savings of countries with surplus current accounts to those with deficit current accounts. This article argues that the international monetary system creates dollar-denominated assets and liabilities regardless of the current account positions of the countries in which borrowers reside. Furthermore, it is argued that the hegemony of the United States does not depend on the recycling of foreign surpluses. It enjoys a privileged position as a result of the differential in the return of its foreign investments compared to those of other countries, particularly emerging and developing countries. However, this yield differential does not depend only on liquidity, as the proponents of the money view argue, but also on the economic policies that emerging and developing countries put in place. This article argues that the international monetary system is rapidly changing. A sign of this change is the different composition of external financial assets in China’s balance of payments, with a greater share of loans to developing countries than foreign reserves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the analysis of the principles of legal regulation of state stimulation of the attraction of extra-budgetary public funds, «green» investments and self-sufficiency for the implementation of the «green» transition of the energy sector of the economy, the legal consolidation of the state policy of «green» transition& This is due to Ukraine's participation in the Energy Community and obligations regarding implementation of the Fourth EU Energy Package «Clean energy for all Europeans», the tasks of Ukraine to simplify the procedure for the transition to the consumption of «green» electric energy, the production of goods using clean energy, the introduction of measures to stimulate energy efficiency, including for household consumers, achieving the status of a climate-neutral country. It is noted that state support for the «green» transition occurs not only at the expense of budget funds, but also in the form of attracting public funds, in particular, funds from specially formed state enterprises and funds from current accounts with a special mode of use of electricity suppliers, and through state incentives to attract «green» investments and other private funds. At the same time, funds of funds formed in the field of energy are increasingly subject to a special public-legal regime of their use and public financial control. Such instruments of state support as «green» tariff, purchase by a guaranteed buyer, state simulation of «green» electrometallurgy, and state stimulation of electricity production from alternative energy sources using the self-production mechanism are highlighted. The need to increase the transparency of the use of the funds of state enterprises for sponsorship and humanitarian aid, as well as the activities of the Guaranteed Buyer and other providers of universal services for the mandatory purchase of electricity produced under the «green» tariff, was noted. The special «mixed» nature of the legal regulation of the specified relations is noted, since the share of relations of a public-law nature is increasing, due to the acquisition of greater social significance by individual funds of funds formed at the expense of consumers of electric energy, with the acquisition of a public-law mode of operation of the funds, that are mobilized from electricity suppliers on current accounts with a special mode of use for making calculations, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses common geopolitical issues, such as globalisation, decolonialisation, and economic pressure that affect the development of teacher education policy in England, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Russia, Israel, Jamaica, Portugal, Japan, Poland, and China. It goes on to describe these nations' responses to these pressures and the challenges that they have and continue to face in developing their teacher education systems and building the profession. The article concludes with consideration of the ongoing struggle for the soul of teacher education, especially in England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unreasonable medical fees can cause problems such as increased medical costs, greater medical disparities, decreased medical standards, and physician shortages. To prevent such problems, it is important to set appropriate medical fees, ensure their proper use, and improve the efficiency of medical care. The treatment of patients with maxillofacial defects is generally more expensive compared with general prosthodontic treatment because it involves more materials and requires more frequently follow-ups for longer period. However, the actual time required for maxillofacial prosthetic treatment is unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to clarify the amount of time spent treating maxillofacial prosthetic patients. We analyzed clinical data from patients undergoing routine maxillofacial prosthetic treatment, irrespective of difficulty level, at 8 university hospitals and 2 dental clinics. We also collected data from maxillofacial prosthodontists on the treatment time required for various Japanese health insurance items, including the fabrication of maxillofacial prostheses. The results revealed that some aspects of maxillofacial prosthetic treatment may take longer to perform and are more costly to perform than previously thought, suggesting the need for some adjustments to the health insurance reimbursement system. Maintaining an appropriate balance between expenditures and fees will greatly benefit patients and physicians, ensuring positive health outcomes and a healthy society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the demographic determinants of current account balance (CAB) across income groups, continents, and time periods between 1993 and 2021. The benchmark model employs a panel data analysis, particularly a two-way effects estimator (Baltagi, 2021), with CAB as the main dependent variable, while savings rate (SAV) is used as an alternative dependent variable. It was found that the old dependency ratio, fertility rate, life expectancy, population growth, and mortality rate have a statistically significant effect on CAB and SAV, but the effects are heterogeneous across income groups and continents. In Africa, an increase in the old dependency ratio has a negative effect on CAB in accordance with the theories of Modigliani and Sterling (1983) , Graham, (1987) , and Masson and Tryon (1990). Fertility rate has a negative effect on CAB in Africa while having an ambiguous effect in Asia and Europe. In line with the findings of Mason and Lee (2006) , there is a positive relationship between fertility rates and CAB and SAV in lower-middle-income countries and negative relationship in high-income countries. Conversely, population growth affects negatively CAB and SAV in lower middle-income countries and positively in high-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The more intensive economic presence of China in the Balkan, within the Belt and Road Initiative, has influenced China to become one of Serbia's most significant economic partners. The more dynamic economic cooperation between these economies is evident both from the perspective of foreign trade and capital flows. The focus of this study is to determine how the intensified economic cooperation between Serbia and China reflects on the domestic balance of payments position. Research results suggest that the growing economic cooperation of the observed economies negatively affects the domestic balance of payments position, both in terms of trade in goods and services and in terms of the income account sub-balance. At the same time, the increasing inflow of capital, primarily based on foreign direct investment from China, has provided financing for a significant portion of Serbia's current account deficit over the past few years. However, the ultimate effects on Serbia's balance of payments position will largely depend on whether Chinese investments in the coming period will further deepen the deficit in the primary income account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the expected impacts of Saudi Arabia's accession to the BRICS bloc, which is intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. By analyzing the intra-trade flows of Saudi Arabia with the BRICS countries from the implementation of the bloc until 2023 and measuring the impact of Saudi exports and imports with BRICS on the balance of merchandise trade, and to discuss the extent of the impact of the net intra-trade situation of Saudi Arabia with BRICS on the balance of merchandise trade. The most prominent Saudi export sectors were diagnosed, and their corresponding customs tariff averages in the BRICS countries were analyzed to determine the expected effects of implementing a regional trade agreement (RTA) between the BRICS bloc. The study is based on the ARDL model and Saudi data from (2003-2022), using three models by applying on exports, imports, and trade balance of Saudi Arabia, the findings suggests that there is no significant relationship between Saudi Arabia's trade balance on the one hand, and exports, imports and the trade balance with BRICS on the other hand, which reduces the impact of Saudi Arabia's accession to BRICS on Saudi exports. which requires further negotiation of mutual obligations and potential gains between the member states of BRICS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 2010s, Denmark registered sustained current account surpluses of an average of 8% of gross domestic product (GDP). In trying to explain the nature and causes of this extraordinary performance, recent studies have pointed to a temporary change in the private sector's financial behavior as the main driver. However, descriptive analysis of the balance of payments shows that the improvement of the current account in the 2010s has been driven by three main elements: (i) the increase in real net exports, (ii) the increase in terms of trade, and (iii) the improvement in the income account. This article explores how the current account balance and the net lending of the Danish private sector would have evolved under alternative scenarios for these three elements. This is done through an empirical quarterly structural macroeconomic model for the period 2005–20, which we use to make counterfactual analyses. We find that, although part of the increase in the current account is due to an increase in domestic savings, as recent studies suggest, the effect of factors specifically related to the external sector has also been significant. Hence, the findings of this article suggest that the high current account surplus of Denmark is more a structural phenomenon than a temporary one, as official reports have been claiming thus far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial or total, official or unofficial dollarization reflects a lack of monetary credibility and confidence in the countries concerned. In Lebanon, the irreversible high partial dollarization since the 1980s concerns deposits, credits, and even public debt. The accumulated deficits of the balance of payments since 2011 with the maintenance of the exchange rate peg USD/LBP have gradually depleted the USD reserves of the Central Bank of Lebanon. The collapse in 2019 is reflected in the fall of the pegged exchange rate regime, the default on payment of the public debt in USD, and the inability of banks to meet withdrawal requests and deposit transfers in USD. The scientific literature and empirical studies show that, in a situation of very high partial dollarization, this is incompatible with a free float regime. The stabilization based on the exchange rate anchor cannot be repeated after the loss of confidence in the ability of the Central Bank to maintain it. The choice of a hard peg regime (currency board or full dollarization) seems dominant although it is difficult to consider it as an optimal solution. However, the Lebanese economy seems to be moving currently toward full dollarization even if only unofficially at the beginning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse the impact of International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes on appointing women leaders in ministerial positions. We hypothesize that women leaders are selected after an incumbent government starts an IMF programme to shift accountability to them during political and economic turmoil. This political manoeuvring of appointing women to leadership positions during a crisis is known as the 'glass cliff' effect. We demonstrate substantial evidence for such a 'glass cliff' effect using data covering all IMF programmes from 1980 to 2018. Our evidence shows that women are more likely to be appointed to austerity‐bearing ministerial positions under IMF programmes but not in positions of authority during negotiations with the IMF. This effect is more pronounced when a country displays worse societal gender norms, a higher level of corruption and a government facing a deeper economic crisis. Importantly, we verify that neither women's leadership nor a higher share of women in government predicts a balance of payments crisis triggering an IMF programme. In other words, women leaders do not govern worse; they are appointed to leadership positions in precarious, crisis‐ridden conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirlwall Model shows evidence in Latin American countries, as well as for the Peruvian economy, with an economic growth rate of balance of payments equilibrium, which is explained by causal variables that present a long-term cointegration relationship. These variables are exports with little added value, imports that reinforce technological dependence, external income, relative prices or the real exchange rate, the institutions, and the volatility of exports. Investment policies are prescribed in innovative, physical, financial, natural, and social human capital that tend to reduce the restriction of foreign exchange, technological dependence and the international market. Therefore, endogenous, dynamic, sustained, inclusive economic growth is generated, low in carbon as a means for sustainable human development, within the framework of a new growth and development strategy that involves balancing the participation of the market, state and civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the relationships between bank switching and both customer vulnerability and consumer-oriented policies (financial education and disclosure practices). Design/methodology/approach: The analysis employs microdata from the Special Eurobarometer on Financial Products and Services, for 24 European nations. It carries out a probit estimation on the factors explaining propensity of bank switching, focusing on three characteristics associated with customer vulnerability: an advanced age, low educational attainment and residence in a rural or a relatively poor region. Findings: The authors report that the probability of bank switching is significantly lower for three groups of vulnerable customers: the elderly, the less educated and those living in deprived regions. Further the authors identify that national financial education policies and disclosure practices have no significant effects on bank switching. Research limitations/implications: Based on these results, the authors propose more targeted policies recognising customers' heterogeneity are required to increase bank switching behaviour. Originality/value: This paper exploits a unique source of information on bank switching behaviour and customer characteristics across European nations. These data are complemented with information about consumer financial education policies and disclosure practices from the World Bank and geographical, market and regulatory factors at the regional and national levels. The paper contributes to two academic areas. First, it presents further evidence on heterogeneity of bank customer switching behaviour, addressed at improving the understanding of customer vulnerability in banking services. Second, it examines the efficacy of consumer-oriented policies (financial literacy and disclosure practices) in encouraging bank switching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the current state of Japan's vacant house issue, highlighting a 4.2% increase in the total number of houses, with a vacancy rate of 13.8%. Vacancy rates tend to be higher in West Japan, with decay and damage present in more than half of vacant houses. The article also addresses the reasons for leaving houses vacant, such as the need for storage space and limited income among households. [Extracted from the article]

In current environment, external borrowings have a significant impact on the domestic economy. On the one hand, they are an important tool for the development and stabilisation of Ukraine's economy, as, if used rationally, they will help maintain budgetary stability and implement the necessary reforms. On the other hand, such borrowings may pose certain risks in the form of an increased debt burden, dependence on creditors, and even a threat to financial independence. For Ukraine, this issue is of particular relevance. Sources of external borrowing include various entities, including: The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the World Bank, individual states, etc. The overarching processes of globalisation are leading to an increase in the economic and political interdependence of states. The presence of external debts affects not only the economic component but also the social sphere. In recent years, Ukraine has been experiencing an upward trend in its external debt. External debt affects debt security, and thus economic and national security in general. The main reasons for the emergence and growth of Ukraine's public debt include the state budget and balance of payments deficit. Yes, borrowing is tangible and helps to balance the state budget, but it should be noted that this is a temporary measure. In the future, constant borrowing will only increase the debt burden. This leads to negative consequences for the population, in particular in terms of increased taxation. It should be noted that external debt requires repayment, which means regular payments from the budget. The need for such payments causes a shortage of funds for the country's development and a reduction in funding for relevant government programmes. This suggests that a rational plan for repayment should be developed to minimise the impact of negative consequences on the financing of state development. In addition, the use of borrowed funds should be strictly controlled and used exclusively for the necessary needs. Debt repayment will help create conditions for economic growth, restore confidence in the financial system, attract foreign investment, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unreasonable medical fees can cause problems such as increased medical costs, greater medical disparities, decreased medical standards, and physician shortages. To prevent such problems, it is important to set appropriate medical fees, ensure their proper use, and improve the efficiency of medical care. The treatment of patients with maxillofacial defects is generally more expensive compared with general prosthodontic treatment because it involves more materials and requires more frequently follow-ups for longer period. However, the actual time required for maxillofacial prosthetic treatment is unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to clarify the amount of time spent treating maxillofacial prosthetic patients. We analyzed clinical data from patients undergoing routine maxillofacial prosthetic treatment, irrespective of difficulty level, at 8 university hospitals and 2 dental clinics. We also collected data from maxillofacial prosthodontists on the treatment time required for various Japanese health insurance items, including the fabrication of maxillofacial prostheses. The results revealed that some aspects of maxillofacial prosthetic treatment may take longer to perform and are more costly to perform than previously thought, suggesting the need for some adjustments to the health insurance reimbursement system. Maintaining an appropriate balance between expenditures and fees will greatly benefit patients and physicians, ensuring positive health outcomes and a healthy society.

The aim of this paper is to defend the view that we need to conceive our moral understanding as in part constituted by our affective and imaginative abilities suitably related. The core argument is that in order to be able to understand and explain the truth of a given moral proposition, we need to understand what the relevant moral concepts refer to, that is, we need to understand the semantic value of the relevant moral concepts. In the moral domain, I argue, this involves appealing to our affective and imaginative abilities suitably related. My account provides a genuinely new alternative to current accounts of moral understanding because it brings in both affect and the imagination central stage. Moreover, my account is a defense of the view that our moral understanding is a distinctive kind of understanding not reducible to non-moral kinds of understanding. The upshot of my argument is a new position in questions about the nature of moral understanding that focuses on the peculiarities of understanding in the moral domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution explores the category of international economic interdependence through the case study of the economic mobilisation within each of the infant Atlantic Alliance’s member state economy, as well as the industrial and trade integration that NATO’s multilateral rearmament programs stimulated in the early 1950s. Assuming a definition of economic interdependence as the ratio of transnational flows in capital and consumer goods to domestic growth, this article focuses on the transition from U.S. bilateral assistance programs to the inception of multilateral off-shore procurement programs (OSP) launched by NATO to provide European partners with both military assistance, and balance of payments support as well as continued economic assistance to industrial production and employment after the termination of Marshall Plan economic aid. Some references are made to the case study of Italy to explore this multifaceted nature of NATO collective rearmament as then Italy both suffered from balance of payments disequilibria, and came with a real economy that, unlike many other European economies, featured both unutilised industrial capacity and a painful rate of unemployment. The allotment of military production contracts to the Italian aircraft and mechanical industry to provide the Italian and other NATO partners with military end items and products, combined with a call by Washington on the West European governments to raise defense spending, was intended to target the U.S. objective of making the Atlantic Alliance the engine to attain at the same time industrial integration, trade partnership and balance of payments equilibrium among its member nations, as well as sustained aggregate demand within each of them. Therefore, the off-shore procurements programs were a combination of these elements and became the fly-wheel to combine domestic growth and high level of transnational flows in capital and consumer goods germane to the process of economic interdependence. A set of data aimed at comparing key macroeconomic conditions affected by bilateral and multilateral aid as employment rates, balance of payments equilibrium, foreign exchange reserves, and particularly the inflow of dollardenominated assets, as well as the terms of trade of OEEC countries with the United States and the dollar world from prior to the inception of multilateral military assistance to the full implementation of the OSP programs are offered to provide a quantitative assessment of the impact that multilateralisation of rearmament had on the European economies of NATO in a matter of a few years.

Words learned first or earlier in life are processed faster, with more accuracy, and are more resistant to brain injury than words learned some time later. This phenomenon is called the age-of-acquisition (AoA) effect. Current accounts of the AoA effect place its influence in the semantic system (i.e., the semantic hypothesis), or in the irregular connections formed between representations (i.e., the arbitrary mapping hypothesis). In this study, we tested the predictions derived from these hypotheses on visual word recognition using a formal masked priming paradigm with short SOA (43 ms) and two lexical decision tasks: one in Spanish and one in English. The AoA of the target words and the orthographic and phonological relationship between primes and targets were manipulated. Results from LMM analyses showed the main effects of AoA and phonological priming and an interaction where phonological priming affected only the recognition of late-acquired words. Neither the semantic nor the arbitrary mapping hypotheses fully explain these findings. Alternative accounts such as the phonological completeness or the sensorimotor hypotheses are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the role of economic complexity in the ratio of Thirlwall's elasticities, fundamental to understanding the reason for the unequal growth of countries. To this end, a theoretical model is used for a group of nations. Differences in growth rates among countries are associated with different ratios of income elasticities of exports and imports. According to econometric estimates, the country that manages to increase the economic complexity of its export basket, the investment/GDP ratio and has a lower GDP per capita improves the elasticities ratio and, therefore, its long-term growth. In other words, the results are categorical in the sense of demonstrating the central role of these policies for the country to advance in the process of structural change and move towards the production of more complex manufactured goods, because these can ensure sustainable economic growth, that is, compatible with the equilibrium of the balance of payments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigación Económica is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Facultad de Economia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Balkan & Near Eastern Journal of Social Sciences (BNEJSS) is the property of Balkan & Near Eastern Journal of Social Sciences (BNEJSS) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The document "UK forecast tables" offers detailed economic data in tabular form covering various aspects such as GDP components, household sector income and expenditure, trade and balance of payments, labor market indicators, inflation indicators, and government finances. The forecasts are based on data up to July 12, 2024, spanning the years 2012 to 2027. The tables provide a comprehensive overview of the UK's economic outlook, making it a valuable resource for researchers analyzing economic trends and key indicators. The data presented in the tables offer insights into fluctuations in economic indicators, trade volumes, labor market trends, business landscape, inflation indicators, and government finances over the years, aiding in understanding the financial landscape and changes in income, spending, and debt levels. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Investigación Económica is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Facultad de Economia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The question whether there are virtual objects grows more salient, as virtual reality (VR) technology becomes commercially viable. Arguments for realism about virtual objects rely on virtual causation. This paper argues that current accounts of virtual causation (both realist and irrealist) are inadequate – realists oversimplify the relation between virtual objects, virtual events, and their digital counterparts, while irrealists conflate virtual objects with their on-screen representations. Once these issues are rectified, it becomes clear that virtual causation is illusory, because the presumed structure of causal interactions between virtual objects does not map onto the structure of causal interactions between underlying computational objects and processes. Thus, the key realist contention that the causal interactions between virtual objects reveal their identity with the underlying computational objects and processes (digital objects) cannot be sustained. I conclude that an appropriate understanding of virtual causation favours irrealism about virtual objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We rely on a multi-sectoral balance-of-payments constrained growth model that incorporates intermediate imports. • We explicitly incorporate the effects of intermediate imports and relative prices into the analysis. • The outcome of the study shows that the multi-sectoral balance-of-payments constrained growth model correctly predicts Turkey's growth path. • Heightened dependence on imported intermediates, resulting in a reduction in the income elasticity of export demand and an elevation in the income elasticity of import demand, could potentially exert adverse effects on the overall economic growth. • Countries, like Turkey, can benefit from increasing the usage of available domestic inputs in export production to reduce leakage occasioned by the extensive importation of foreign factor inputs. Several countries rely heavily on imported intermediate inputs for the manufacturing of their exported goods. Understanding the implications of this reliance on a country's growth performance is vital. To address this issue, we conducted an in-depth analysis using the multi-sectoral balance-of-payments constrained growth model with data from Turkey spanning 1970 to 2019. We used the autoregressive distributed lag method to estimate sectoral export, final import, intermediate goods import, and total import demand functions for five technology-based sectors. Subsequently, we calculated growth rates using the multi-sectoral balance of payments constrained growth models, factoring in the estimated income and price elasticities, as well as the respective sectoral shares in total exports, total imports, total final imports, and total intermediate goods imports. Our results demonstrate that the multi-sectoral balance of payments constrained growth model, which incorporates the impact of imported intermediate goods, successfully predicts Turkey's growth path. The findings indicate that structural changes in the production process and the use of imported intermediate inputs have a positive impact on exports. However, Turkey's significant dependence on imported intermediate goods during the production process leads to a decrease in the multi-sectoral balance of payments constrained growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with global imbalances as an increasingly important issue in our age. While the literature establishes that current accounts are inversely related to the ratio of income to consumption inequality in OECD, our study finds that this relationship is reversed in Asia. That ratio has much to do with various schemes of consumption smoothing, which are affected by policy interventions to alleviate the effects of rising income inequality. Different policies may generate opposite outcomes. In OECD, policy encourages consumer credit and deficit spending among low-income people so that consumption inequality is kept artificially low, leading up to a current account deficit. In Asia, policy promotes output growth via high savings with no well-developed smoothing schemes designed to help poor households, so that consumption inequality moves in line with income inequality, with excess savings recycled into a current account surplus. Hence, any reduction in global imbalances requires both regions to adjust their policies for mitigating income inequality and optimizing smoothing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hacettepe University Journal of Economics & Administrative Sciences / Hacettepe Üniversitesi Iktisadi ve Idari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Hacettepe University, Faculty of Economic & Administrative Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)