WSB Merito University in Gdańsk

BACKGROUND: Timely and comprehensive analyses of causes of death stratified by age, sex, and location are essential for shaping effective health policies aimed at reducing global mortality. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 provides cause-specific mortality estimates measured in counts, rates, and years of life lost (YLLs). GBD 2023 aimed to enhance our understanding of the relationship between age and cause of death by quantifying the probability of dying before age 70 years (70q0) and the mean age at death by cause and sex. This study enables comparisons of the impact of causes of death over time, offering a deeper understanding of how these causes affect global populations. METHODS: GBD 2023 produced estimates for 292 causes of death disaggregated by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2023. We used a modelling tool developed for GBD, the Cause of Death Ensemble model (CODEm), to estimate cause-specific death rates for most causes. We computed YLLs as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. Probability of death was calculated as the chance of dying from a given cause in a specific age period, for a specific population. Mean age at death was calculated by first assigning the midpoint age of each age group for every death, followed by computing the mean of all midpoint ages across all deaths attributed to a given cause. We used GBD death estimates to calculate the observed mean age at death and to model the expected mean age across causes, sexes, years, and locations. The expected mean age reflects the expected mean age at death for individuals within a population, based on global mortality rates and the population's age structure. Comparatively, the observed mean age represents the actual mean age at death, influenced by all factors unique to a location-specific population, including its age structure. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 250-draw distribution for each metric. Findings are reported as counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2023 include a correction for the misclassification of deaths due to COVID-19, updates to the method used to estimate COVID-19, and updates to the CODEm modelling framework. This analysis used 55 761 data sources, including vital registration and verbal autopsy data as well as data from surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. For GBD 2023, there were 312 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 3 country-years of surveillance data, 51 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 144 country-years of other data types that were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS: The initial years of the COVID-19 pandemic caused shifts in long-standing rankings of the leading causes of global deaths: it ranked as the number one age-standardised cause of death at Level 3 of the GBD cause classification hierarchy in 2021. By 2023, COVID-19 dropped to the 20th place among the leading global causes, returning the rankings of the leading two causes to those typical across the time series (ie, ischaemic heart disease and stroke). While ischaemic heart disease and stroke persist as leading causes of death, there has been progress in reducing their age-standardised mortality rates globally. Four other leading causes have also shown large declines in global age-standardised mortality rates across the study period: diarrhoeal diseases, tuberculosis, stomach cancer, and measles. Other causes of death showed disparate patterns between sexes, notably for deaths from conflict and terrorism in some locations. A large reduction in age-standardised rates of YLLs occurred for neonatal disorders. Despite this, neonatal disorders remained the leading cause of global YLLs over the period studied, except in 2021, when COVID-19 was temporarily the leading cause. Compared to 1990, there has been a considerable reduction in total YLLs in many vaccine-preventable diseases, most notably diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and measles. In addition, this study quantified the mean age at death for all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality and found noticeable variation by sex and location. The global all-cause mean age at death increased from 46·8 years (95% UI 46·6-47·0) in 1990 to 63·4 years (63·1-63·7) in 2023. For males, mean age increased from 45·4 years (45·1-45·7) to 61·2 years (60·7-61·6), and for females it increased from 48·5 years (48·1-48·8) to 65·9 years (65·5-66·3), from 1990 to 2023. The highest all-cause mean age at death in 2023 was found in the high-income super-region, where the mean age for females reached 80·9 years (80·9-81·0) and for males 74·8 years (74·8-74·9). By comparison, the lowest all-cause mean age at death occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, where it was 38·0 years (37·5-38·4) for females and 35·6 years (35·2-35·9) for males in 2023. Lastly, our study found that all-cause 70q0 decreased across each GBD super-region and region from 2000 to 2023, although with large variability between them. For females, we found that 70q0 notably increased from drug use disorders and conflict and terrorism. Leading causes that increased 70q0 for males also included drug use disorders, as well as diabetes. In sub-Saharan Africa, there was an increase in 70q0 for many non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Additionally, the mean age at death from NCDs was lower than the expected mean age at death for this super-region. By comparison, there was an increase in 70q0 for drug use disorders in the high-income super-region, which also had an observed mean age at death lower than the expected value. INTERPRETATION: We examined global mortality patterns over the past three decades, highlighting-with enhanced estimation methods-the impacts of major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to broader trends such as increasing NCDs in low-income regions that reflect ongoing shifts in the global epidemiological transition. This study also delves into premature mortality patterns, exploring the interplay between age and causes of death and deepening our understanding of where targeted resources could be applied to further reduce preventable sources of mortality. We provide essential insights into global and regional health disparities, identifying locations in need of targeted interventions to address both communicable and non-communicable diseases. There is an ever-present need for strengthened health-care systems that are resilient to future pandemics and the shifting burden of disease, particularly among ageing populations in regions with high mortality rates. Robust estimates of causes of death are increasingly essential to inform health priorities and guide efforts toward achieving global health equity. The need for global collaboration to reduce preventable mortality is more important than ever, as shifting burdens of disease are affecting all nations, albeit at different paces and scales. FUNDING: Gates Foundation.

The anthropogenic impact of conventional energy sources encourages the utilization of renewable energy, as it has become a strategic commodity for economic growth. On the other hand, institutional stability is the pre-requisite without which environmental quality cannot be assured and the economy cannot function. However, in recent literature, very little consideration has been given to this important phenomenon. This study is set to analyze the energy-institutional stability-economic growth nexus, as well as the energy-institutional stability-environmental quality nexus, by incorporating the Cobb Douglas production function and the Diet and Rosa environmental function respectively. The sample consists of the D-8 countries and the time period spans 1990 to 2016. To analyze the developed models, Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL), Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) tests are applied, along with other econometric techniques. The panel ARDL statistics indicate significant cointegration among all variables of both functions, while the FMOLS test reveals that consumption of both nonrenewable and renewable energy has a positive impact on economic growth, as well as on environmental degradation. Further, results indicate that institutional stability is crucial for establishing a nation on a sound footing and protecting environmental quality. Based on these results, the study suggests a blend of both types of energy and a gradual transition toward renewable energy sources, with better implementation of policies and technological advances, to produce, preserve, and transmit renewable energy production.

Hydrogen can be recognized as the most plausible fuel for promoting a green environment. Worldwide, developed and developing countries have established their hydrogen research, investment, and policy frameworks. This analysis of 610 peer-reviewed journal articles from the last 50 years provides quantitative and impartial insight into the hydrogen economy. By 2030, academics and business professionals believe that hydrogen will complement other renewable energy (RE) sources in the energy revolution. This study conducts an integrative review by employing software such as Bibliometrix R-tool and VOSviewer on socio-economic consequences of hydrogen energy literature derived from the Scopus database. We observed that most research focuses on multidisciplinary concerns such as generation, storage, transportation, application, feasibility, and policy development. We also present the conceptual framework derived from in-depth literature analysis as well as the interlinkage of concepts, themes, and aggregate dimensions, to highlight research hotspots and emerging patterns. In the future, factors such as green hydrogen generation, hydrogen permeation and leakage management, efficient storage, risk assessment studies, blending, and techno-economic feasibility shall play a critical role in the socio-economic aspects of hydrogen energy research.

Humans spend the majority of their time indoors, where they are potentially exposed to hazardous pollutants. Within this context, over the past few years, there has been an upsurge of low-cost sensors (LCS) for the measurement of indoor air pollutants, motivated both by recent technological advances and by increased awareness of indoor air quality (IAQ) and its potential negative health impacts. Although not meeting the performance requirements for reference regulatory-equivalent monitoring indoors, LCS can provide informative measurements, offering an opportunity for high-resolution monitoring, emission source identification, exposure mitigation and managing IAQ and energy efficiency, among others. This article discusses the strengths and limitations that LCS offer for applications in the field of IAQ monitoring; it provides an overview of existing sensor technologies and gives recommendations for different indoor applications, considering their performance in the complex indoor environment and discussing future trends.

Abstract The safe, highly effective measles vaccine has been recommended globally since 1974, yet in 2017 there were more than 17 million cases of measles and 83,400 deaths in children under 5 years old, and more than 99% of both occurred in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) 1–4 . Globally comparable, annual, local estimates of routine first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) coverage are critical for understanding geographically precise immunity patterns, progress towards the targets of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), and high-risk areas amid disruptions to vaccination programmes caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) 5–8 . Here we generated annual estimates of routine childhood MCV1 coverage at 5 × 5-km 2 pixel and second administrative levels from 2000 to 2019 in 101 LMICs, quantified geographical inequality and assessed vaccination status by geographical remoteness. After widespread MCV1 gains from 2000 to 2010, coverage regressed in more than half of the districts between 2010 and 2019, leaving many LMICs far from the GVAP goal of 80% coverage in all districts by 2019. MCV1 coverage was lower in rural than in urban locations, although a larger proportion of unvaccinated children overall lived in urban locations; strategies to provide essential vaccination services should address both geographical contexts. These results provide a tool for decision-makers to strengthen routine MCV1 immunization programmes and provide equitable disease protection for all children.

In spite of its importance in understanding tourist behaviour, the scientific knowledge about risk perceptions about a destination has begun to expand especially after 1960s. Especially, far more research is yet needed for exploring the role of risk on potential tourists’ travel motivations, destination image perceptions and visit intentions. This study, therefore, attempts to clarify the moderated impact of risk perception in the relationship among travel motivations, destination image and travel intentions. With this purpose, two survey studies were conducted on German tourists visiting Turkey, whereas the participants evaluated their perceptions about Spain or Greece. The results in both cases showed a high direct influence of travel motivations on destination image perception and a significant direct impact of destination image perception on travel intention. The findings also revealed that risk perception has a negative moderated effect on travel motivations, destination image and travel intention relationships.

From an economic viewpoint, tourism is heralded as bringing income to local communities. From an ecological standpoint, tourism poses a threat to environments. Sustainable tourism should leave a minimum negative impact on the places visited and preferably have rather positive impact on society. The digitization of the tourism economy is conducive to increasing the efficiency of enterprises operations, but also have positive impact on consumers. The objectives of the study are: to seek an answer to the question whether there is a relationship between the development of the tourism industry and GDP growth. Based on it there are two specific questions: What is a relationship between the level of development of digitization (e-commerce) and the development of the tourism industry and what is a relationship between the development of the tourism industry and sustainability factors? The originality of our research results among others results from three groups of variables use in the analysis (ICT group, SDG group and E&T group). Our research explores the factors affecting the tourism industry and relations of the digitization of tourism economy, sustainability and economy growth.

Abstract In recent years, the airport industry is facing the effects of the growing pressure towards sustainability. In fact, airports have often been accused of having strong environmental and social impacts. This circumstance shed light on the need for airports to provide stakeholders with precise information about the social and environmental effects of their activities. The importance of sustainability disclosure in the airport industry is also attracting the interest of academics. However, studies are still limited and there is a lack of contributions aimed at identifying the drivers of sustainability disclosure in the airport industry. This work aims to fill this gap by analyzing, under the lens of legitimacy theory, the impact of business size, business complexity and corporate visibility on the level of sustainability information disseminated by airports. To this end, a manual content analysis is performed on a sample composed by 145 large European airports to measure the level of sustainability information disseminated. Furthermore, a multiple regression analysis is performed to examine the role played by business size, business complexity and corporate visibility on the level of sustainability disclosure. The results show that the number of passengers, the cargo quantity, the number of terminals and gates and the level of social media exposure represent positive drivers of the sustainability disclosure of the European airports. This study contributes to enriching the academic literature in several ways and offers important managerial implications.

Understanding influencer credibility and online advertising and explaining its implications is the basis for analyzing customer purchase behavior. Novelties in digital marketing are visible in the growth of advertising through digital platforms using micro-influencers, compared to the former trend of using celebrities in creating brand awareness with the purpose to reach many customers and influence their buying decisions. The aim of this study is to examine how advertising disclosure (displayed/not displayed) affects influencer credibility, while analyzing influencer type (celebrity/micro-influencer) as a moderator variable underlying this relationship. Further, this paper investigates whether brand awareness mediates the relationship between influencer credibility and purchase intention. The questionnaire was designed and data were collected from 364 respondents using the convenience sampling method on the student population from one Croatian university. Regression analysis was performed to test the set hypothesis in SPSS using the PROCESS approach and independent sample t-test. The findings show: (1) displayed advertising status increases influencers’ credibility, and (2) this relationship is not moderated by influencer type. Moreover, (3) influencer credibility has a positive and significant relationship with purchase intention, and (4) this relationship is mediated through brand awareness. Research results indicate the importance of advertising disclosure and influencer credibility in influencer marketing, since brand awareness created through influencers’ credibility increased by displayed advertising disclosure significantly affects purchase intention of participants.

Purpose The main aim of the paper is to examine the small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) capital structure determinants in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania). Design/methodology/approach The authors used panel models to analyze financial data of 15,253 companies operating in the years 2014–2017. Findings The authors confirmed the dominant role of firm-specific factors. Industry and country variables explain only 4% of debt variability of the surveyed companies. The direction of influence of the diagnosed firm-specific factors is consistent with the pecking order theory. About one-fourth of SMEs in CEE hold a stock of debt capacity. It negatively affects the share of debt in the capital. The authors did not confirm the influence of the systematic industry business risk. Research limitations/implications The limitations of the study are (1) the inclusion of only six CEE countries in the sample; (2) the exclusion of microenterprises from the sample; (3) the capital structure relationships are observed following the applications of static panel; (4) the endogeneity issue has not been addressed in the model. Practical implications This study shows that business-friendly institutional environment is an important factor influencing the indebtedness of companies. It increases the leverage and, consequently, the return on equity, especially in CEE countries. Originality/value SME analyses in CEE countries are not as frequent as for other regions. Despite the classical determinants of the SMEs' capital structure, the authors have included debt capacity and systematic industry business risk in this study.

Financial access is considered a crucial element of entrepreneurship. Much of the literature focuses on how individual actors demand or supply finance, but rarely within the context of systemic entrepreneurship. The current entrepreneurial finance literature is fragmented and rooted in various traditions. However, the entrepreneur’s perceived role in aggregated wealth creation is currently being strengthened, most recently by the emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem perspective. This calls for exploring the role of finance in systemic entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems. By conducting a systematic literature review of financial determinants, sources and effects, the study synthesizes debates across the different research fields, i.e. finance, entrepreneurship and regional development. As the entrepreneurial ecosystem concept is considered a pre-paradigmatic approach, the paper argues that the role of finance depends on how we regard and define ecosystems. The state of knowledge is also underdeveloped due to the obstacles of acquiring longitudinal data. Such issues keep us from achieving a better evolutionary and processual understanding of the financial dynamics in ecosystems and, therefore, presents a promising avenue for future research.

This article presents assessment results for the priorities of different urban logistics stakeholders in order to launch crowd logistics (CL) solutions within a city area. Additionally, this analysis was conducted by using various dimensions of sustainable city development. The unique character of this study lies in presenting the priorities of the interviewed stakeholders. Therefore, the purpose of this publication is to analyze the priorities of various stakeholders in relation to the introduction of CL solutions within a city area. The reason for such analysis is the rapid development of a large number of sharing-economy initiatives, including services. For this study, a few methods were used to achieve the research goal. Firstly, text mining and text analysis methods were implemented to analyze the opinions of the interviewees. Then, two chi-square tests allowed us to determine whether the groups of stakeholders are statistically different or not. Finally, the AHP (analytic hierarchy process) and DEMATEL (decision making trial and evaluation laboratory) methods were applied in order to define the priorities of the stakeholders. The needs of particular groups of respondents were derived from the interview based on the questionnaire. The results of the analysis allow for defining the demand characteristics for CL solutions by presenting the areas that are crucial for particular groups of stakeholders.

This article presents the assessment results for crowd logistics (CL) solutions from the perspective of the needs of different stakeholders. The uniqueness of this study lies in entering these needs in the implementation of the three spheres of sustainable development in cities (social, economic, and environmental). The purpose of this publication is to present the benchmark solutions for the CL area, helping to adjust the business model and market offer of other providers to the needs of different groups of stakeholders. The reason for such valuation is the fast-paced sharing economy development in the city logistics area, as well as in the courier activity. For this study, the AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method was applied in order to develop the proposed evaluation tool of the CL initiatives. The evaluation criteria (the needs of particular groups of respondents) are derived from document-based data analysis and the primary data for the model are derived from information provided by service providers. The list of the best solutions is made for indicating benchmark brands on the market. The recommendations for managers were drawn on how to adjust solutions to the stakeholders’ needs.

The main objective of this research is to investigate the role of social media campaigns (the type of social media platform, type of message, and message source sender) in raising public health awareness and behavioral change during (COVID-19) as a global pandemic across national selected countries (Poland and Jordan). The research utilizes a quantitative method with an exploratory and descriptive design to accumulate the initial data from a research survey given to the respondents from Jordan and Poland. A total of 1149 web questionnaires were collected from respondents in the two countries (Poland 531 and Jordan 618). In addition, multiple regression analysis was used to test the study hypotheses. The findings showed positive relationships between the components of a social media campaign, public health awareness, and behavioral change during (COVID-19) in the two countries at the same time. However, the preferred type of social media platforms, the message types and type of source sender significantly differ among the respondents due to their countries. This is the first study that examines the role of social media campaigns (the type of social media platform, type of message and message source sender) in public health awareness and behavioral change during (COVID-19) as a global pandemic in across national selected countries (Poland and Jordan).

The aim of this paper is to identify the relationships between measures of working capital management (cash conversion cycle /CCC/, working capital value /WC/ and the financial liquidity /CR/) and profitability of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The research material consisted of data of 326 companies from 1998–2016. The analysis revealed significant non-linear relationship between WC, CR and profitability. When WC and CR values grow, profitability increases, but at a slower pace. However, there is a linear negative relationship between CCC and profitability. The results are influenced by the industry and the GDP growth. This indicates that profit-driven entrepreneurs try to delay payments to suppliers. They pay off bank loans from the funds thus generated. This study contributes to the verification of theories linking profitability with working capital management with emphasis on the influence of the industry. The results have practical implications: companies with growing profitability should not lose sight of the shortening CCC when paying off short-term loans; in some industries decreasing profitability while CR values grow may mean problems with the efficient use of current assets.

Abstract Value is a key concept in the business model literature. Yet business models are not only about value and how it is created. They are also key to understanding how organisations create outcomes for stakeholders and impact the natural environment and society. So far, however, business model studies have paid little attention to the conceptual differences and particularities of outcomes, impacts and value. This prevailing vagueness is critical. Lacking an understanding of how organisations create outcomes and impacts while aiming to create value with and for their stakeholders can harm both communities and the organisations involved, despite their best intentions. Hence, this article clarifies the differences between business model outcomes, impacts and value and offers an activity system theory‐based framework to map and analyse business models. Using the example of TOMS, this article shows how changes in a business model's activity system influence the outcomes, impacts and value it creates. Finally, we argue that a stakeholder perspective is necessary but insufficient to understand the system‐level impacts of business models and that it needs to be complemented with a systems theory lens.

Although exponential technologies promise to bring unprecedented value at the socio-economic and policy levels, the social acceptability and preparedness for the technological “singularity” should be carefully considered. In particular, whereas digital innovation is able to drive an extraordinary development of entrepreneurial ventures, a number of challenging issues and the ongoing pandemic crisis have increased the need to investigate how technological breakthrough and human capital can be effectively combined in order to build resilient socio-technical and entrepreneurial ecosystems. This paper offers a synopsis of the major investigation areas and a reflection on the themes associated with the emergence of a digital society and the affirmation of digital entrepreneurship ecosystems. The research process follows a systematic literature review and a conceptual development approach aimed to introduce both the concept and a model of the digital society “incubator”. The proposed model identifies the actors, values, flows, and processes that are required to support the construction of a resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem. In this perspective, the study proposes a new focus by hybridizing and integrating both entrepreneurial and technology-related dimensions into a single unifying model. The study also lays the groundwork for further studies aimed at identifying the environmental and institutional factors required to support a smooth and effective transition towards a resilient entrepreneurial and technology-driven society.

The Baltic Sea is a unique ecosystem that is especially sensitive to anthropogenic pressure. We analysed human pressure in this sea, which may be considered as paradoxes. One of these, is paradox of “marine” pollution. The Baltic Sea is almost totally surrounded by land and therefore sources of marine pollution are located mainly on the land. Another paradox is connected with shipping traffic intensity and maritime accidents. The Baltic Sea is characterised by the large shipping traffic, but the last decades’ data show only more than 100, usually insignificant and minor, accidents and incidents at the Baltic Sea every year. Although the Baltic Sea is characterised by a relatively low native species number compared to most marine systems, it is home to alien species. Moreover, despite the common opinion that a sea is a source of living marine resources, available riches in the Baltic Sea under anthropopressure are limited and the sea does not give expected benefits—it is the next paradox. The fact that the Baltic Sea is warming rapidly due to climate change and more suitable for bathing when the weather is favourable, massive algae growth often prevents it. Therefore, strong human impact on the Baltic Sea should be limited and sustainable use of this sea should be prioritised.

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) assumes the possibility of predicting and explaining humans' behaviour by identifying their intentions. The intentions are shaped by three groups of factors: attitudes towards, social norms and perceived behavioural control over the behaviour. The aim of the research is to examine the applicability of the TPB in medical tourism and to check whether there are differences in predicting the intentions of medical tourists from different countries. The study covered potential medical tourists-521 young consumers from three regionally important markets in medical tourism services: Jordan, Poland and Turkey. The study used a research survey to collect data, which were analysed using the multiple regression and analysis of variance methods. The research showed that the TPB model can be used in medical tourism. The results also show that the consumers' country of origin is a significant factor when predicting their intention to use medical tourism services.

What makes a business model sustainable? To answer this question, we conducted a systematic review of 390 journal articles on business models for sustainability (BMfS). Building on the activity system perspective, we engaged in an active categorization process, in which we identified 26 activity groups focused on 12 design themes. These activities and design themes are associated with organizations’ potential to use their business models to contribute to sustainable value creation. Our analysis also revealed that the identified activities and design themes can be related to three overarching value functions of BMfS: maintaining, unlocking, and sharing value. Our findings indicate that these value functions play a pivotal role in creating sustainable value through business models. The identified design themes can serve as guiding principles for organizations seeking to make their business models sustainable, while the identified value functions can provide a foundation for theorizing on sustainable value creation through business models.