The Leontief model in research into the economic importance of small seaports : a case study

PURPOSE: The article defines the economic importance of the seaport of Kołobrzeg, a local port located in the western part of the Polish Baltic coast. The study has distinguished three effects, direct, indirect, and induced, which constitute a full spectrum of the seaport's impact. The effects were discussed in terms of the output, the gross wages, and the employment figure. The subject matter discussed in the article is an introduction to a more extensive study, which is to be conducted on a representative group of local seaports.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The port's significance in Kołobrzeg was determined using the Leontief model. The scope of the economic impact of the port was related to the Koszaliński subregion, a territorial unit at the NUTS 3 level. Regionalization of the national input-output table was performed using the Flegg Location Quotient (FLQ). The study was based on available statistical data, information obtained from the Main Statistical Office (GUS), and survey results.FINDINGS: The importance of the port of Kołobrzeg is determined by the multiplier value, which is lower than in previous studies due to the reference area being narrowed down, and by the use of the FLQ formula reducing the self-supplying ability of the Koszalin subregion. The induced and direct effects had the most significant impact on the economy of the subregion, with the indirect effect being of a minor significance.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study provides the decision-makers with information on the scope of impact and the economic significance of the Kołobrzeg port. They allow for a concentration of investment funds in the areas with the most significant impact on the local economy.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: In foreign literature, the are no studies on the importance of a seaport following the format: local port – regionalization of the national table using the FLQ – reference area below the NUTS 2 level. In the case of Polish seaports, no author has comprehensively determined their economic importance.peer-reviewe

Znaczenie turystyki żeglarskiej w rozwoju lokalnej gospodarki na przykładzie gminy Darłowo

The paper aims at determining a role of sail tourism in local economic development, basing on the theory of an economic basis. According to the theory, external factors such as tourism, stimulate a local economic development. Tourists pour additional money to local economy, that supports the development. In the period 2004-2016, sailors were more and more interested in the marine port of Darłowo and the sail tourism has started to play an increasing role in the local economic development. Investments in marine infrastructure for sailing became profitable. Perspectives for the sail tourism development are promising. However, the tourism development requires extending marine facilities for sailing and widening a scope of additional services. A promotion of sailing, international cooperation and creating sail cluster may essentially support the sail tourism and the economic development of Darłowo’s gmina

Adopting the euro will cause an increase in prices : a study on inflationary processes in euro area member states

Purpose: The main purpose of the article is to identify factors that may affect the course of inflation processes in Poland after the adoption of the single European currency. Design/Methodology/Approach: The mechanism triggering an inflationary spiral in the first years after the adoption of the euro was especially visible in Spain, which became the subject of comparative analysis. Based on literature, it was determined that the price increase in Spain resulted from an asymmetric demand shock. Its sources should be sought in Spain's adoption of a lower interest rate and in the structural features of the country’s economy. Similarly, Poland’s submission to the single monetary policy regime imposed by the European Central Bank may affect the course of inflationary processes. This study made use of the document analysis, comparative analysis, and statistical analysis methods. Findings: Factors that may affect inflation processes in Poland after the adoption of the single currency will be the adoption of a lower interest rate, and expansionary fiscal policy. Lending policy and inflation expectations will be less likely to stimulate price increases. These factors may contribute to the occurrence of asymmetric shock, i.e. surplus of global demand over supply. Reduction of the inflation risk will require a tightening of lending and fiscal policy. Otherwise, the Polish economy will be exposed to the occurrence of crises. Practical Implications: Reflections on the importance of the single European currency in the course of inflation processes can be a valuable source of information for decision makers in preventing crisis phenomena. The more so because six Central and Eastern European countries have committed themselves in the Accession Treaties to the introduction of the euro and will face similar dilemmas. Originality/Value: The authors of this article draw attention to the importance of domestic factors in correcting inflation processes in the event of the loss of independence of national monetary policy.peer-reviewe

Economic importance of marinas on the Polish Baltic Sea coast

PURPOSE: This paper identifies the economic importance of the Polish Baltic Sea coast marinas. The investigated marinas are among the most prominent port structures and represent each section of the sea coast. In determining the economic impact of marinas, three effects were identified, i.e., direct, indirect and induced. These effects are discussed in terms of output, added value and employment.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The economic importance of marinas was determined using an input-output method, often referred to as the Leontief model. The extent of the economic impact of the port was referred to the coastal sub-regions, i.e., Koszaliński, Słupski and Gdański, which are NUTS 3 territorial units. The regionalisation of the national input-output table was carried out using the Flegg location coefficient (FLQ). A comparative analysis was carried out, taking marinas in Spain and Italy as the object of comparison. The research was based on local statistics and survey results.FINDINGS: The strength of the impact of the studied marinas is less than their initial economic impetus. The direct and induced effect had the most significant impact on the economy of the sub-regions, with the indirect effect being of minor importance. The greater strength of the impact of the Valencia Region's marinas may result from the input-output table regionalisation technique adopted and the greater self-sufficiency of port cities in Spain. The dominance of the direct effect should be linked to the extensive network of links created by nautical tourism. The minor importance of the indirect effect is due to the limited inter-sectoral linkages. On the other hand, the lower significance of the induced effect in the case of Polish marinas is related to the lower level of development of the national economy and the failure to include investment expenditures in the model.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results of the study provide information for decision-makers on the economic importance of marinas. They allow investment funds to be concentrated on areas with the most significant impact on the local economy.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The authors of this article were the first in the country to address the economic importance of marinas using the input-output method.peer-reviewe

The influence of the European tobacco products directive on socio-economic situation : analysis on the perspective of competencies towards uniformity in family business

Purpose: In terms of the sown area, the largest tobacco plantations in the EU are in Italy, Greece, and Poland. Faced with the issues of globalization and responding to the development of the Internet, the European Parliament initiated works on a directive on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states concerning the manufacture, presentation, and sale of tobacco and related product. After the intended purposes of the Directive were announced Poland raised its objections, because – as predicted – the introduction of new rules would bring a change to the economic situation of the rural areas where tobacco was grown. Against this background, the present article pursues to objectives: 1) to identify the main spheres of social and economic life that have potentially been affected by the Directive, and 2) to assess the impact that the Directive has had on these areas five years after it came into force. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was conducted using the document analysis and the comparative analysis methods. The Polish market was used as an example and compared to those in other European countries. Findings: The Tobacco Products Directive was found to potentially affect 4 spheres: human health, level of budget revenues, production and sale of tobacco products, and agriculture and tobacco growing. However, our analyses did not confirm the claim that any area has been negatively affected; on the contrary, improvements have been observed, for example in terms of the income of tobacco growers or the volume of cigarette production. Originality/value: Apparently, this is the first paper involving a wide assessment of the effects of the Tobacco Products Directive.peer-reviewe

The aromatase expression in myomas and myometriums of women in reproduction and perimenopausal age.

Uterine myomas represent one of the most common female pathologies. Uterine smooth muscle myomas or fibromas are benign tumours which respond to hormones and their etiology induces wide interest. The myomas were found to contain aromatase and, in addition, cells of the myomas were found to synthesize estrogen. This study was conducted on patients with the myomas, in either generative age or in the perimenopausal period. Expression of aromatase was detected in patients of various age, with large or small uterine myomas, using an immunohistochemical technique. In addition expression of the enzyme was examined at the periphery of every myoma

The comparison of multipotential for differentiation of progenitor mesenchymal-like stem cells obtained from livers of young and old rats.

The presence of stem cells differentiating to hepatocytes and cholangiocytes has been previously reported in livers of young rats. Here, we have isolated, cultured, and characterized mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from livers of young and old rats and tested their multipotential for differentiation. The mesenchymal stem cells in liver sections were identified by the presence of markers, respectively for primary stem cells Thy-1 and CD34, for differentiation to early cholangiocytes GST and CK19, and for differentiation to hepatocytes GSTalpha and CK18. Ki67 was detected as the cell proliferation marker. Cells isolated from livers of either age group were tested in a culture for their viability following storage and were characterized for the presence of most of the markers detected in cells in situ. The results revealed age-dependent changes in the number of recovered primary MSCs. In both age groups we have observed cells changing under differentiating conditions to liver cell lineages, such as cholangiocytes and hepatocytes, as well as to non-liver cells such as adipocytes, astrocytes, neuroblasts, and osteoblasts. Our data revealed that from the livers of rats 20 months and older the primary MSCs could be isolated and expanded; however, they were significantly fewer, even though their differentiation multipotential was preserved. The mechanism involved in the differentiation of liver MSCs seemed to depend on a constellation of signals in Notch signalling pathways. Thus, our results support the idea of potential use of liver as a source of MSCs, not only for liver reconstruction but also for cell therapy in general

Verification of electron beam parameters in an intraoperative linear accelerator using dosimetric and radiobiological response methods

Background: The availability of linear accelerators (linac) for research purposes is often limited and therefore alternative radiation sources are needed to conduct radiobiological research. The National Centre for Radiation Research in Poland recently developed an intraoperative mobile linac that enables electron irradiation at energies ranging from 4 to 12 MeV and dose rates of 5 or 10 Gy/min. The present study was conducted to evaluate the electron beam parameters of this intraoperative linac and to verify the set-up to evaluate out-of-field doses in a water phantom, which were determined through dosimetric and biological response measurements. Materials and methods: The distribution of radiation doses along and across the radiation beam were measured in a water phantom using a semiconductor detector and absolute doses using an ionisation chamber. Two luminal breast cancer cell lines (T-47D and HER2 positive SK-BR-3) were placed in the phantom to study radiation response at doses ranging from 2 to 10 Gy.  Cell response was measured by clonogenic assays. Results and Conclusion: The electron beam properties, including depth doses and profiles, were within expected range for the stated energies. These results confirm the viability of this device and set-up as a source of megavoltage electrons to evaluate the radiobiological response of tumour cells