David and Goliath Revisited: A Tale About the Timor Leste/Australia Timor Sea Agreements

This Article offers a tale about a dispute over the continental shelf resources of the oil-rich Timor Sea that currently involves a Goliath, Australia, and a David, Timor-Leste. The story includes colonization by a European state, Portugal, an invasion and annexation by a neighbor country, Indonesia, the negotiation of several contentious international treaties, and, more recently, is akin to a John le Carré novel, as it includes espionage, thefts, and imprisonment of whistleblowers. This story is not about the kid-glove diplomacy that usually characterizes relations between states.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

O alargamento do período experimental para trabalhadores à procura de primeiro emprego e desempregados de longa duração. Comentário ao Acórdão do Tribunal Constitucional, de 18 de maio de 2021 (Acórdão n.º 318/2021).

The adoption of legislative measures that reduce or diminish job security has often been invoked as an objective the promotion of access to paid work by first-time job seekers and long-term unemployed workers. The Constitutional Court Ruling 318/2021 of July 1, which is the subject of this commentary, concluded, in an abstract review, that the rule contained in article 112(1)(b)(iii) of the CT was unconstitutional, but only in the part that refers to first-time job seekers "when applicable to workers who have previously been employed for a term of 90 days or more by other employer(s)". Therefore, the Constitutional Court did not find any constitutional inconsistency in the extension from 90 to 180 days of the trial period applicable to "first-time job seekers" (except for the aforementioned part) and "long-term unemployed workers".Con frecuencia se ha invocado como objetivo de la adopción de medidas legislativas que reducen o disminuyen la seguridad en el empleo la promoción del acceso al trabajo remunerado de los demandantes de primer empleo y de los trabajadores desempleados de larga duración. La Sentencia del Tribunal Constitucional 318/2021, de 1 de julio, objeto del presente comentario, concluyó, en un examen abstracto, que la norma contenida en el artículo 112.1.b).iii) del ET era inconstitucional, pero sólo en la parte que se refiere a los demandantes de primer empleo "cuando sea aplicable a trabajadores que previamente hayan estado contratados por un período igual o superior a 90 días por otro u otros empresarios". Por lo tanto, el Tribunal Constitucional no encontró ninguna incoherencia constitucional en la ampliación de 90 a 180 días del periodo de prueba aplicable a los "demandantes de primer empleo" (salvo en la parte mencionada) y a los "trabajadores desempleados de larga duración".A adoção de medidas legislativas que comprimem ou diminuem a segurança no emprego tem vindo, não raro, a invocar como objetivo a promoção do acesso ao trabalho remunerado por parte dos trabalhadores à procura de primeiro emprego e dos desempregados de longa duração. O Acórdão do Tribunal Constitucional n.º 318/2021, de 1 de julho, objeto do presente comentário, concluiu, em sede de fiscalização abstrata, pela inconstitucionalidade da norma contida no art. 112.º, n.º 1, alínea b), subalínea iii), do CT, mas apenas no trecho que se refere aos trabalhadores à procura do primeiro emprego, “quando aplicável a trabalhadores que anteriormente tenham sido contratados, com termo, por um período igual ou superior a 90 dias, por outro(s) empregadores(s)”. Não, porém, relativamente aos demais segmentos da norma.Por conseguinte, o TC não encontrou qualquer desconformidade constitucional no alargamento de 90 para 180 dias do período experimental aplicável aos «trabalhadores à procura de primeiro emprego» (ressalvado o recorte supra mencionado) e aos «trabalhadores desempregados de longa duração». &nbsp

Multi-taxa neo-taphonomic analysis of bone remains from barn owl pellets and cross-validation of observations: a case study from Dominica (Lesser Antilles)

Paleo- and neo-taphonomic analyses of bone assemblages rarely consider all the occurring taxa in a single study and works concerning birds of prey as accumulators of microvertebrate bone remains mostly focus on small mammals such as rodents and soricomorphs. However, raptors often hunt and consume a large range of taxa, including vertebrates such as small mammals, fishes, amphibians, squamates and birds. Bone remains of all these taxonomic groups are numerous in many paleontological and archaeological records, especially in cave deposits. To better characterize the predators at the origin of fossil and sub-fossil microvertebrate accumulations and the taphonomic history of the deposit, it is thus mandatory to conduct global and multi-taxa taphonomic approaches. The aim of this study is to provide an example of such a global approach through the investigation of a modern bone assemblage from a sample of pellets produced by the Lesser Antillean Barn Owl (Tyto insularis) in the island of Dominica. We propose a new methodology that allows us to compare different taxa (rodents, bats, squamates and birds) and to experiment with a cross-validation process using two observers for each taxonomic group to test the reliability of the taphonomic observations.1. Introduction 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Owl Pellets Sampling 2.2. Prey Identification 2.3. Taphonomic Analysis 2.3.1. Anatomical Representation 2.3.2. Fragmentation 2.3.3. Surface Modifications 2.3.4. Size/Weight Classes of Preys 2.4. Cross-Validation of Observations 3. Results 3.1. Faunal Spectrum 3.2. Anatomical Representation 3.3. Fragmentation 3.4. Modifications of Bone Surface 4. Discussion 4.1. Diet of Tyto Insularis in Dominica 4.2. Taphonomic Impact of Tyto Insularis on Small Vertebrate Bone Assemblage 4.2.1. Remarks on the Size/Weight Classes of Preys 4.2.2. Anatomical Representation 4.2.3. Fragmentation 4.2.4. Digestion 4.3. Degree of Inter-Observer Differences and Potential Outcomes 4.4. Towards an “Inter-Taxa Calibration” 5. Conclusion

Real-Time Spectroscopic Analysis Enabling Quantitative and Safe Consumption of Fluoroform during Nucleophilic Trifluoromethylation in Flow

The productive use of toxic waste materials derived from industrial processes is one of the main goals of modern chemical research to increase sustainability of the large scale production. Here we devise a simple and robust strategy for the utilization of trifluoromethane, obtained in large quantities from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) manufacture, and the conversion of this greenhouse gas into valuable fluorinated compounds. The generation of the trifluoromethyl carbanion and its direct and complete consumption through trapping with a number of electrophiles were achieved by a fully contained flow reactor setup. The adoption of modern in-line analytical tools, such as portable FT-IR and NMR devices, allowed the accurate reagent dosing with considerable benefits in terms of controlling the environmental impact during this continuous process. The advantages of the method, with respect to the batch procedure, will be discussed and demonstrated experimentally.The EPSRC, grant codes: EP/K009494/1, EP/K039520/1 and EP/M004120/1

Developing a Raman spectroscopy-based tool to stratify patient response to pre-operative radiotherapy in rectal cancer

Rectal cancer patients frequently receive pre-operative radiotherapy (RT), prior to surgical resection. However, colorectal cancer is heterogeneous and the degree of tumour response to pre-operative RT is highly variable. There are currently no clinically approved methods of predicting response to RT, and a significant proportion of patients will show no clinical benefit, despite enduring the side-effects. We evaluated the use of Raman spectroscopy (RS), a non-destructive technique able to provide the unique chemical fingerprint of tissues, as a potential tool to stratify patient response to pre-operative RT. Raman measurements were obtained from the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) pre-treatment biopsy specimens of 20 rectal cancer patients who received pre-operative RT. A principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis algorithm was able to classify patient response to pre-operative RT as good or poor, with an accuracy of 86.04 ± 0.14% (standard error). Patients with a good response to RT showed greater contributions from protein-associated peaks, whereas patients who responded poorly showed greater lipid contributions. These results demonstrate that RS is able to reliably classify tumour response to pre-operative RT from FFPE biopsies and highlights its potential to guide personalised cancer patient treatment

Modelação analítica da erosão de praias por tempestade

Tese de mestrado em Geologia do Ambiente, Riscos Geológicos e Ordenamento do Território, apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2015A erosão costeira, que se traduz na tendência de recuo da linha de costa, é um processo de evolução que tem vindo a aumentar, trazendo como consequência directa a redução da área das praias e a destruição das dunas. Estas últimas constituem, muitas vezes, uma linha de defesa natural contra a acção das ondas durante as tempestades. À erosão costeira, e em particular à erosão das dunas, pode associar-se a destruição do património construído e mesmo conduzir a perdas de vida humana por vezes agravada por eventos de inundação e galgamento oceânico. Torna-se pois importante e necessário prever qual o impacto das tempestades sobre as dunas em termos de recuo e volume erodido. O principal objectivo desta dissertação é a quantificação da erosão do perfil de praia provocada pelas tempestades marítimas. Para tal foram analisados três modelos analíticos: modelo de Edelman; modelo de Kriebel & Dean; e modelo de Larson et al. Destes modelos conclui-se que o mais adequado para aplicação à costa portuguesa é o de Larson et al. pois é o único que contempla directamente o efeito da maré. O nível da maré tem uma grande importância no cálculo da erosão durante uma tempestade, pois se esta ocorre em preia-mar o nível do mar será maior e, consequentemente, a altura das ondas e o seu alcance sobre o perfil de praia serão também maiores tal como os seus efeitos. A aplicação dos modelos de erosão dunar às tempestades do inverno de 2014 na praia da Foz do Lizandro revelou que para o intervalo entre Janeiro-Fevereiro o valor determinado pelo modelo de Edelman é relativamente próximo do observado enquanto os valores estimados pelos outros modelos são claramente superiores. Relativamente ao intervalo de Fevereiro-Março verifica-se que o valor determinado tanto pelo modelo de Kriebel & Dean como pelo modelo de Larson et al. se aproximam muito do valor acumulado para o recuo da base da duna.Coastal erosion, which translates to the retreat of the coast line, it’s an evolution process that has been increasing, bringing as direct consequence the reduction of the beach area and the destruction of dunes. The former often constitute a line of natural defense against the action of the waves during storms. Coastal erosion, and in particular dune erosion, can be associated with the destruction of buildings and even lead to the loss of human lives, sometimes aggravated by flood events and overtopping. Therefor it becomes important and necessary to predict the impact of storms on dunes regarding the retreat and the eroded volume of the dune. The main objective of this dissertation is to quantify the erosion of the beach profile triggered by marine storms. Three analytic models were analyzed: Edelman’s model; Kriebel and Dean’s model and Larson et al. model. From these models the most adequate for application on the portuguese coast is Larson et. al model, because this is only one that directly contemplates the tide effect. The tide level has a great importance in the calculation of the erosion during a storm, because if it occurs during high-tide the sea level will be higher and, consequently, the wave height and its reach over the beach profile will also be higher just as their effects. The application of the dune erosion models to the winter storms of 2014 in Foz do Lizandro beach revealed that between January and February the value determined by Edelman's model is relatively close to the observed one, whereas the estimated values by other models are clearly superior. Between February and March it can be seen that the values determined by Kriebel and Dean’s model and Larson’s model are very close to the total value for the retreat of the base of the dune