Revolution Research

ABSTRACT This paper provides a first assessment of the financial performance of worker buyouts in Italy in a comparative fashion. Drawing on a dataset of 138 active worker buyouts in Italy between 2021 and 2023, the study employs descriptive evidence and mean-difference tests to assess the drivers of the capital structures of both worker buyouts and all Italian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The analysis reveals that worker buyouts systematically present higher leverage and a lower incidence of zero-leverage compared to the population of Italian SMEs, underscoring the crucial role of external financing and institutional support in sustaining this organizational model. From a policy perspective, the evidence points to the need for stronger equity bases to reduce long-term vulnerability and to facilitate generational renewal.

The Agatston score is a measure of cardiovascular disease traditionally calculated on cardiac gated computed tomography (CT) of the chest. Cardiac gated CT is resource-intensive, can be hard to access, and involves extra radiation exposure. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to opportunistically calculate Agatston scores on non-gated CTs performed for other indications. This retrospective standalone performance assessment compared the accuracy of an AI model (Riverain Technologies ClearRead CT CAC) at calculating Agatston scores on non-gated CTs to both consensus radiologist interpretations on the same CTs and Agatston scores from the original radiology reports of paired cardiac gated CTs. It involved 491 non-contrast CT chest cases acquired at five hospitals in the United States between January 2022 and December 2023; approximately two-thirds had a paired cardiac gated CT. It compared the agreement of Agatston categories (0, 1-99, 100-399 and ≥ 400) using the quadratic weighted Kappa coefficient and the correlation of Agatston scores using the Spearman coefficient. The agreement of Agatston categories between the AI model and ground truth radiologists was 0.959 (95% CI: 0.943 to 0.975); this result was broadly consistent across sex, age group, race, ethnicity and CT scanner manufacturer subgroups. The agreement between the AI model and paired cardiac gated CT was 0.906 (95% CI: 0.882 to 0.927). The correlations of Agatston scores for these two comparisons were 0.975 (95% CI: 0.962 to 0.987) and 0.942 (95% CI: 0.920 to 0.957) respectively. The assessed AI model accurately calculated Agatston scores on non-gated CTs and produced similar scores to paired cardiac gated CTs. Its use could broaden screening for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, enabling opportunistic screening on CTs captured for other indications.

To compare the outcomes of two different surgical planning strategies for topography-guided repair of post-LASIK ectasia. This is a case report of a patient presenting with post-LASIK ectasia. A retrospective chart review was used to collect details of the ophthalmic exam, as well as ocular imaging such as anterior segment optical coherence tomography and Scheimpflug corneal tomography. Treatment planning was performed initially with the Phorcides analytical engine, and then an enhancement was performed with the LYRA/San Diego Protocol. Epithelium-off corneal cross-linking was performed at 3.0 mW/cm for 30minutes. The patient initially presented with a remote history of LASIK and progressive left eye blurring. His uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 20/40, with a corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of 20/25 with a manifest refraction of -1.25 +1.75 × 180. His central corneal thickness was 529μm, and corneal topography/tomography demonstrated inferior steepening of the left eye consistent with post-LASIK ectasia. He underwent simultaneous PRK and epithelium-off corneal cross-linking with a treatment plan by Phorcides of -0.14 -0.87 × 001. His vision stabilized at post-operative month 7 to a UDVA 20/40, CDVA 20/20, and manifest refraction of -2.75 +3.50 × 005. He underwent PRK enhancement with a treatment plan by the San Diego Protocol of +0.00 -1.15 × 094, with an outcome of UDVA 20/20, CDVA 20/20, and manifest refraction of -1.00 +0.75 × 174. The LYRA/San Diego Protocol outperformed Phorcides in a case of corneal ectasia. With appropriate planning, patients with irregular corneas can achieve excellent refractive outcomes.

In Chile, the dictatorship and subsequent democratic governments opened the country’s economy to the world, as a consequence the textile industry came to an end and uncontrolled imports of new and used clothing have resulted in clothing dumps in the Atacama Desert.

Background: Mental health diseases are responsible for 16% of the global burden of disease in adolescents. Identifying the main determinants of these disorders in this age group can direct public and political efforts aimed at their prevention. Two previous meta-analyses showed a moderate and positive effect between exposure to community violence and mental health symptoms; however, there are still significant gaps to be addressed. Objectives: To evaluate whether adolescents’ exposure to a higher degree of community violence is associated with a higher risk of internalizing mental health symptoms and to investigate whether degrees of community violence events (victimization, witnesses and heard about) is associated with a higher risk of internalizing mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety and postraumatic stress disorder). Methods: A systematic review, research question and inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed according to the PEO format. The population consists of adolescents aged 10 to 24 years, the exposition involves individuals who were exposed to community violence, the comparison is adolescents who were not exposed or who were exposed to community violence to a smaller degree, and the outcome consists of internalizing mental health symptoms. Selection, extraction and quality assessment are being performed independently by two researchers. Results: A narrative synthesis will be presented. If possible, a meta-analysis will be performed with subgroup analyses of age, sex, degree of community violence and race. Publication bias will be assessed using funnel plots. This protocol has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) - CRD 42019124740.

O seguinte estudo descreve uma experiência prática que integra a Realidade Aumentada (RA) ao ensino de Biologia na Escola Estadual Dom Gino Malvestio, localizada em Parintins (AM). A era digital, acompanhada pelas tecnologias que fazem parte do nosso cotidiano, abre caminho para o desenvolvimento de abordagens educacionais inovadoras e mais dinâmicas. A Realidade Aumentada, ao combinar elementos do mundo físico com elementos virtuais, oferece uma experiência transformadora aos usuários no âmbito educacional. Nesse cenário, surge o aplicativo "Poríferos ou Cnidários", criado na plataforma Unity com suporte de "image targets" desenvolvidos no Vuforia, com o intuito de aprimorar o ensino da Zoologia. Esse aplicativo mergulha os alunos em uma prática imersiva sobre o Reino Animal, utilizando objetos tridimensionais.

Gerhard Schormann: Der dreißigjährige Krieg. (= Kleine Vandenhoeck-Reihe, Bd. 1506). Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht 1985. 151 S.

Climate change projections indicate that significant areas of the current cocoa cultivation areas in West Africa are likely to experience unfavorable climatic conditions by 2050. Water use efficient agroforestry systems are considered to be an important option to adapt cocoa to climate change. Water use efficiency and complementary soil water use between cocoa and shade trees have been reported in previous studies in Indonesia but in our previous study in Ghana, popular native shade tree species Albizia ferruginea and Antiaris toxicaria were found to have a strong competitive water use advantage over cocoa plants during an extreme drought experienced during 2015/16. Cocoa plants under no shade were relatively more resilient with higher survival rate and post drought recovery.While past research studies   were each limited to few selected shade tree species being investigated despite the huge numbers within cocoa landscapes. To overcome this limitation, an approach based on functional traits of trees in terms of water use is proposed to understand their effect on water use efficiency and drought resilience in cocoa agroforestry systems rather than describing individual species. We apply this concept across temporal and spatial scales in a marginally suitable cocoa climate in Ghana. Shade tree species have been categorized into phenological trait groups (evergreen, deciduous, or brevi-deciduous) under which detailed above- and belowground traits interactions with cocoa plant and effect on water use has been evaluated.The following hypotheses are being tested: (i) shade trees in the three phenological trait groups exhibit significant difference in their root and water uptake depth, and, thus, affect environmental conditions relevant for cocoa, (ii) cocoa plant above- and belowground morphological and physiological traits are influenced by shade tree phenological and morphological traits and their modification by micro-climatic (light, temperature, relative humidity and VPD), and soil (water and nutrients) conditions over different seasons.Replicated plots of 19 shade tree species distributed across the three phenological trait groups have been established for analysis of functional traits interactions in such a multi-species agroforestry system. We determine root specific traits through direct sampling, stable isotope analysis for assessment of water use portioning between the various shade tree groups and cocoa plants. Soil moisture, temperature and relative humidity and light sensors were installed in each plot. Cocoa plants under different micro-climatic impact zones of the shade trees have been monitored for a full production cycle.  The shade trees impact on the cocoa plant productivity (morphology and yield traits) has been evaluated. Complementary and non-complementary shade tree species with respect to their trait interactions and effect on cocoa plant productivity have been identified.

Les débats actuels au sujet de la « voie chinoise » sont intimement liés à deux questions primordiales. Premièrement, quelle espèce de modernisation cette « voie chinoise » représente-t-elle ? Et deuxièmement, quel rapport entretient-elle avec la sinisation du marxisme ? Cet article vise à répondre à ces enjeux à partir d’une double perspective, celle du récit historique et celle de la philosophie de l’histoire. Cet article soutient que la modernisation à la chinoise est née des conditions historiques particulières du xx e siècle et que la sinisation du marxisme, en tant que méthodologie, s’est montrée capable de cerner la nature et la signification de ces conditions. Au xxi e siècle, la « voie chinoise » représente un projet socialiste en renouvellement continu. Apportant un début de réponse à la crise mondiale du post-néolibéralisme, elle en quête des possibilités d’une nouvelle forme de civilisation.