The modified patient enablement instrument: a Portuguese cross-cultural adaptation, validity and reliability study.

Enabling patients with asthma to obtain the knowledge, confidence and skills they need in order to assume a major role in the management of their disease is cost effective. It should be an integral part of any plan for long-term control of asthma. The modified Patient Enablement Instrument (mPEI) is an easily administered questionnaire that was adapted in the United Kingdom to measure patient enablement in asthma, but its applicability in Portugal is not known.

Trapping of anionic organic radicals by (TpMe2)2Ln (Ln = Sm, Eu).

Stoichiometric reaction of [ Sm(Tp(Me2))2 ], 1, with a variety of reducible ketone- and quinone-type substrates gave thermally stable, isolable radical anions/ketyls in moderate to good yields. Thus reaction with benzophenone gave [Sm(Tp(Me2))2(OCPh2)], 2, with fluorenone [Sm(Tp(Me2))2(eta1-OC13H8)], 3, and di-tert-butylparaquinone [Sm(Tp(Me2))2(eta1-OC6H2(tBu)2O)], 4, each of which was structurally characterized. In the case of the less-hindered benzoquinone, an unimetallic semiquinone [Sm(Tp(Me2))2(OC6H4O)], 5, could be isolated, although it was unstable with respect to formation of the dimetallic complex [Sm(Tp(Me2))2]2(mu-OC6H4O), 6.

Radionuclides from past uranium mining in rivers of Portugal.

During several decades and until a few years ago, uranium mines were exploited in the Centre of Portugal and wastewaters from uranium ore milling facilities were discharged into river basins. To investigate enhancement of radioactivity in freshwater ecosystems, radionuclides of uranium and thorium series were measured in water, sediments, suspended matter, and fish samples from the rivers Vouga, Dão, Távora and Mondego. The results show that these rivers carry sediments with relatively high naturally occurring radioactivity, and display relatively high concentrations of radon dissolved in water, which is typical of a uranium rich region.

Facile pyrazolylborate ligand degradation at lanthanide centers: X-ray crystal structures of pyrazolylborinate-bridged bimetallics.

Adventitious hydrolysis of a number of different complexes with the molecular formula Ln(Tp(Me2))(2)X [Tp(Me2) = (HB(dmpz)(3)), where X is a basic anionic ligand] in various solvents, yielded crystals of highly insoluble dimers of the general formula [Ln(Tp(Me2))(mu-BOp(Me2))](2) (1) [Ln = La, Ce, Sm; BOp(Me2) = (HBO(dmpz)(2))(2)(-); dmpzH = 3,5-dimethylpyrazole]. The results of several single-crystal X-ray determinations are reported. One metal nitrogen distance, that lying across from the two negatively charged bridging oxygen atoms, is 0.