BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Understanding the impact of peripheral artery disease (PAD) requires broad evaluation of how functional limitations of PAD affect patients' perceptions of health-related quality of life (HRQL). The objective of this study was to describe the development, testing, and psychometric properties of the PAD Quality of Life Questionnaire (PADQOL). The PADQOL was developed in three steps: (1) interviews of symptomatic PAD patients provided content of the initial questionnaire; (2) co-administration with the SF-36 (a 36-item short-form health survey), Walking Impairment Questionnaire, and Profile of Mood States examined construct validity; and (3) a three-phased factor analysis identified factors and shortened the questionnaire. Data analyses from 297 symptomatic PAD patients resulted in a 38-item questionnaire of five factors: Social relationships and interactions, Self-concept and feelings, Symptoms and limitations in physical functioning, Fear and uncertainty, and Positive adaptation (α = 0.92-0.73) and items related to sexual function, intimate relationships and employment. Between-instrument correlations established construct validity. In conclusion, PADQOL is a validated measure to assess the disease-specific physical, psychosocial and emotional effects of PAD for research and practice.

背景与目标： : 了解外周动脉疾病 (PAD) 的影响需要广泛评估PAD的功能局限性如何影响患者对健康相关生活质量 (HRQL) 的看法。这项研究的目的是描述PAD生活质量问卷 (PADQOL) 的开发，测试和心理测量特性。PADQOL分为三个步骤 :( 1) 对有症状的PAD患者的访谈提供了初始问卷的内容; (2) 与SF-36共同给药 (一项36项简短的健康调查)，步行障碍问卷和情绪状态的概况检查结构效度; (3) 三个阶段的因素分析确定了因素并缩短了问卷。297名有症状的PAD患者的数据分析得出了一个38项问卷，其中包括五个因素: 社会关系和互动，自我概念和感觉，身体功能的症状和局限性，恐惧和不确定性以及积极适应 (α = 0.92-0.73) 和与性功能相关的项目，亲密关系和就业。工具间相关性建立了结构效度。总之，PADQOL是一种经过验证的措施，可评估PAD对特定疾病的身体，社会心理和情感影响，以进行研究和实践。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: INTRODUCTION:This project addresses the validation study design of a test system using a telemetered non-human primate model for cardiovascular safety pharmacology evaluation. METHODS:The validation provided by the supplier evaluated installation (IQ) and operation (OQ) qualifications. This protocol was completed with tests evaluating electronic data management and accuracy and precision of transmitter (n=4) measurements for temperature and pressure criteria with a series of tested values. As part of performance qualification, physical activity (for 24 h) as well as cardiovascular, ECG (20 complexes for each animal) and systemic arterial blood pressure (SAP, 10 different measures), data were recorded simultaneously from the same animals (n=4) using certified equipment and the telemetry system. Reliability was evaluated over 60 days. RESULTS:The IQ and OQ were completed successfully. The electronic data management was performed successfully. The ex-vivo evaluation for temperature and pressure showed high correlation (R(2)>0.99) but with a slight pressure shift, as expected, with this transmitter model. For physical activity, the correlation coefficients were good to excellent with high activity counts but the comparison demonstrated a limited sensitivity of the telemetry system with animal presenting low activity levels. ECG interval measurement using the telemetry software was considered at least equivalent to manual measurement, but with some limitations in the reading of the ECG. The comparison between both methods of SAP measurement showed adequate precision (R(2)=0.969) but no accuracy. DISCUSSION:Reference monitoring methods are important to ensure proper test system validation. Monitoring with a reference methodology and the telemetry system is important in order to evaluate precision and accuracy of the test system. Computerized analysis may lack the capability to analyze ECG complexes with abnormal morphologies. This reinforces the need to have ECG evaluation prior to telemetry implantation along with visual evaluation of ECG tracing at standard speed (e.g. 50 mm/s) at all time points.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :sigma(28) RNA polymerase is an alternative RNA polymerase that has been proposed to have a role in late developmental gene regulation in Chlamydia, but only a single target gene has been identified. To discover additional sigma(28)-dependent genes in the Chlamydia trachomatis genome, we applied bioinformatic methods using a probability weight matrix based on known sigma(28) promoters in other bacteria and a second matrix based on a functional analysis of the sigma(28) promoter. We tested 16 candidate sigma(28) promoters predicted with these algorithms and found that 5 were active in a chlamydial sigma(28) in vitro transcription assay. hctB, the known sigma(28)-regulated gene, is only expressed late in the chlamydial developmental cycle only, and two of the newly identified sigma(28) target genes (tsp and tlyC_1) also have late expression profiles, providing support for sigma(28) as a regulator of late gene expression. One of the other novel sigma(28)-regulated genes is dnaK, a known heat shock-responsive gene, suggesting that sigma(28) RNA polymerase may be involved in the response to cellular stress. Our sigma(28) prediction algorithm can be applied to other bacteria, and by performing a similar analysis on the Escherichia coli genome, we have predicted and functionally identified five previously unknown sigma(28)-regulated genes in E. coli.

背景与目标： : sigma(28) RNA聚合酶是一种替代的RNA聚合酶，已被提议在衣原体的晚期发育基因调控中起作用，但仅鉴定出单个靶基因。为了在沙眼衣原体基因组中发现其他依赖sigma(28) 的基因，我们使用生物信息学方法，使用基于其他细菌中已知sigma(28) 启动子的概率权重矩阵和基于sigma(28) 启动子的功能分析的第二个矩阵。28) 启动子。我们测试了用这些算法预测的16个候选sigma(28) 启动子，发现5个在衣原体sigma(28) 体外转录测定中具有活性。已知的sigma(28) 调控基因hctB仅在衣原体发育周期的晚期表达，新鉴定的sigma(28) 靶基因 (tsp和tlyC_1) 中的两个也具有晚期表达谱，为sigma(28) 作为晚期基因表达的调节剂提供支持。另一个新的sigma(28) 调控基因是dnaK，这是一种已知的热休克反应基因，表明sigma(28) RNA聚合酶可能参与了对细胞应激的反应。我们的sigma(28) 预测算法可以应用于其他细菌，并且通过对大肠杆菌基因组进行类似的分析，我们已经预测并在功能上鉴定了大肠杆菌中五个以前未知的sigma(28) 调控基因。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Accurate measurement of physical activity patterns can be used to identify sedentary behaviour and may facilitate interventions aimed at reducing inactivity. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the activPAL physical activity monitor as a measure of posture and motion in everyday activities using observational analysis as the criterion standard. METHODS:Wearing three activPAL monitors, 10 healthy participants performed a range of randomly assigned everyday tasks incorporating walking, standing and sitting. Each trial was captured on a digital camera and the recordings were synchronised with the activPAL. The time spent in different postures was visually classified and this was compared with the activPAL output. RESULTS:Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 2,1) for interdevice reliability ranged from 0.79 to 0.99. Using the Bland and Altman method, the mean percentage difference between the activPAL monitor and observation for total time spent sitting was 0.19% (limits of agreement -0.68% to 1.06%) and for total time spent upright was -0.27% (limits of agreement -1.38% to 0.84%). The mean difference for total time spent standing was 1.4% (limits of agreement -6.2% to 9.1%) and for total time spent walking was -2.0% (limits of agreement -16.1% to 12.1%). A second-by-second analysis between observer and monitor found an overall agreement of 95.9%. CONCLUSION:The activPAL activity monitor is a valid and reliable measure of posture and motion during everyday physical activities.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVES:To validate the SAPS 3 admission prognostic model in patients with cancer admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). DESIGN:Cohort study. SETTING:Ten-bed medical-surgical oncologic ICU. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS:Nine hundred and fifty-two consecutive patients admitted over a 3-year period. INTERVENTIONS:None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS:Data were prospectively collected at admission of ICU. SAPS II and SAPS 3 scores with respective estimated mortality rates were calculated. Discrimination was assessed by area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves and calibration by Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. The mean age was 58.3+/-23.1 years; there were 471 (49%) scheduled surgical, 348 (37%) medical and 133 (14%) emergency surgical patients. ICU and hospital mortality rates were 24.6% and 33.5%, respectively. The mean SAPS 3 and SAPS II scores were 52.3+/-18.5 points and 35.3+/-20.7 points, respectively. All prognostic models showed excellent discrimination (AUROC>or=0.8). The calibration of SAPS II was poor (p<0.001). However, the calibration of standard SAPS 3 and its customized equation for Central and South American (CSA) countries were appropriate (p>0.05). SAPS II and standard SAPS 3 prognostic models tended somewhat to underestimate the observed mortality (SMR>1). However, when the customized equation was used, the estimated mortality was closer to the observed mortality [SMR=0.95 (95% CI=0.84-1.07)]. Similar results were observed when scheduled surgical patients were excluded. CONCLUSIONS:The SAPS 3 admission prognostic model at ICU admission, in particular its customized equation for CSA, was accurate in our cohort of critically ill patients with cancer.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Water plays an active role in many fundamental phenomena in cellular systems such as molecular recognition, folding and conformational equilibria, reaction kinetics and phase partitioning. Hence, our ability to account for the energetics of these processes is highly dependent on the models we use for calculating solvation effects. For example, theoretical prediction of protein-ligand binding modes (i.e., docking) and binding affinities (i.e., scoring) requires an accurate description of the change in hydration that accompanies solute binding. In this review, we discuss the challenges of constructing solvation models that capture these effects, with an emphasis on continuum models and on more recent developments in the field. In our discussion of methods, relatively greater attention will be given to boundary element solutions to the Poisson equation and to nonpolar solvation models, two areas that have become increasingly important but are likely to be less familiar to many readers. The other focus will be upon the trending efforts for evaluating solvation models in order to uncover limitations, biases, and potentially attractive directions for their improvement and applicability. The prospective and retrospective performance of a variety of solvation models in the SAMPL blind challenges will be discussed in detail. After just a few years, these benchmarking exercises have already had a tangible effect in guiding the improvement of solvation models.

背景与目标： : 水在细胞系统中的许多基本现象中起着积极作用，例如分子识别，折叠和构象平衡，反应动力学和相分配。因此，我们解释这些过程的能量学的能力在很大程度上取决于我们用于计算溶剂化效应的模型。例如，蛋白质-配体结合模式 (即对接) 和结合亲和力 (即评分) 的理论预测需要准确描述伴随溶质结合的水合变化。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了构建捕获这些影响的溶剂化模型的挑战，重点是连续模型和该领域的最新发展。在我们对方法的讨论中，将相对更多地关注泊松方程的边界元解和非极性溶剂化模型，这两个领域已变得越来越重要，但许多读者可能不太熟悉。另一个重点将放在评估溶剂化模型的趋势上，以发现局限性，偏见以及其改进和适用性的潜在吸引力方向。将详细讨论SAMPL盲挑战中各种溶剂化模型的前瞻性和回顾性表现。短短几年后，这些基准测试工作已经在指导溶剂化模型的改进方面产生了切实的效果。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Oral health literacy is a newly emerging field with considerable research potential. AIM:To validate an original instrument, the Hong Kong Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task (HKOHLAT-P) for paediatric dentistry. DESIGN:A convenient sample of 200 child/parent dyads attending a dental hospital in Hong Kong was selected. Convergent validity was tested by examining the association of HKOHLAT-P scores with those derived from the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Dentistry (TOFHLiD) and Hong Kong Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (HKREALD-30). The predictive validity of HKOHLAT-P was determined by testing the association between HKOHLAT-P and children's caries experience (dmft) and the Chinese Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). The test-retest reliability and internal consistency of HKOHLAT-P were also evaluated. RESULTS:HKOHLAT-P was positively correlated with TOFHLiD and HKREALD-30 (P < 0.01), and was negatively correlated with children's dmft and ECOHIS. In the regression model, HKOHLAT-P was associated with TOFHLiD, HKEALD-30, children's dmft, and ECOHIS (P < 0.05) after controlling for participants' demographic characteristics. The intra-class correlation coefficient of HKOHLAT-P was 0.63 and the Cronbach's α was 0.71. CONCLUSION:Initial testing of HKOHLAT-P suggested that it is a valid and reliable instrument.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: AIMS:To reduce sudden cardiac death, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are indicated in patients with ischaemic and non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%. Current guidelines do not recommend device therapy in patients with a life expectancy <1 year since benefit in these patients is low. In this study, we evaluated the incidence and predictors of early mortality (<1 year after implantation) in a consecutive primary prevention population. METHODS AND RESULTS:Analysis was performed on a prediction and validation cohort. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1 year. The prediction cohort comprised 861 prophylactic ICD recipients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy or dilated cardiomyopathy from the Academic Medical Center (Amsterdam) and Thorax Center Twente (Enschede). Detailed clinical data were collected. After multivariate analysis, a risk score was developed based on age ≥75 years, LVEF ≤ 20%, history of atrial fibrillation, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≤30 mL/min/1.73 m(2). Using these predictors, a low (≤1 factor), intermediate (2 factors), and high (≥3 factors) risk group could be identified with 1-year mortality of, respectively, 3.4, 10.9, and 38.9% (P< 0.01). Afterwards, the risk score was validated in 706 primary prevention patients from the Erasmus Medical Center (Rotterdam). One-year mortality was, respectively, 2.5, 13.2, and 46.3% (all P< 0.01). CONCLUSION:A simple risk score based on age, LVEF, eGFR, and atrial fibrillation can identify patients at low, intermediate, and high risk for early mortality after ICD implantation. This may be helpful in the risk assessment of ICD candidates.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Successful translation of findings derived from preclinical studies into effective therapies is critical in biomedical research. Lack of robustness and reproducibility of the preclinical data, due to insufficient number of repeats, inadequate cell-based and mouse models contribute to the poor success rate. Antibodies are widely used in preclinical research, notably to determine the expression of potential therapeutic targets in tissues of interest, including tumors, but also to identify disease and/or treatment response biomarkers. We sought to determine whether the current antibody characterization standards in preclinical research are sufficient to ensure reliability of the data found in peer-reviewed publications. To address this issue, we used detection of the protein c-FLIP, a major factor of resistance to apoptosis, as a proof of concept. Accurate detection of endogenous c-FLIP levels in the preclinical settings is imperative since it is considered as a potential theranostic biomarker. Several sources of c-FLIP antibodies validated by their manufacturer and recommended for western blotting were therefore rigorously tested. We found a wide divergence in immune recognition properties. While these antibodies have been used in many publications, our results show that several of them failed to detect endogenous c-FLIP protein by Western blotting. Our results suggest that antibody validation standards are inadequate, and that systematic use of genetic knockdowns and/or knockouts to establish proof of specificity is critical, even for antibodies previously used in the scientific literature. Because antibodies are fundamental tools in both preclinical and clinical research, ensuring their specificity is crucial.

背景与目标： : 成功地将临床前研究的发现转化为有效的疗法在生物医学研究中至关重要。由于重复次数不足，基于细胞的和小鼠模型不足，缺乏临床前数据的稳健性和可重复性导致成功率低。抗体广泛用于临床前研究，特别是用于确定感兴趣组织 (包括肿瘤) 中潜在治疗靶标的表达，还用于鉴定疾病和/或治疗反应生物标志物。我们试图确定临床前研究中当前的抗体表征标准是否足以确保同行评审出版物中发现的数据的可靠性。为了解决这个问题，我们使用了检测蛋白c-FLIP (抗凋亡的主要因素) 作为概念的证明。临床前环境中内源性c-FLIP水平的准确检测势在必行，因为它被认为是潜在的肿瘤生物标志物。因此，对其制造商验证并推荐用于蛋白质印迹的c-FLIP抗体的几种来源进行了严格测试。我们发现免疫识别特性存在很大差异。尽管这些抗体已在许多出版物中使用，但我们的结果表明，其中一些未能通过Western印迹检测到内源性c-FLIP蛋白。我们的结果表明，抗体验证标准是不充分的，并且系统地使用基因敲除和/或敲除来建立特异性证明是至关重要的，即使对于以前在科学文献中使用的抗体也是如此。由于抗体是临床前和临床研究的基本工具，因此确保其特异性至关重要。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The strong link between gene expression of mitotic Aurora kinases and cancer has stimulated a very high interest in developing Aurora kinase inhibitors for cancer therapy. Validation of Aurora kinases as targets, and development of pharmacodynamic biomarkers for inhibitors of Aurora kinases, provides an example of how target validation can help the drug discovery process, and also of how to interpret results depending on the technology used. In this review, we outline the principal tools, concepts, and strategies of target and biomarker validation for Aurora kinases, with emphasis on validation results derived from RNA-interference experiments. These data were essential for the decision to enter the next steps in drug development and for the selection of the appropriate biomarkers for clinical trials.

背景与目标： : 有丝分裂极光激酶的基因表达与癌症之间的紧密联系激发了人们对开发用于癌症治疗的极光激酶抑制剂的高度兴趣。Aurora激酶作为靶标的验证以及Aurora激酶抑制剂的药效学生物标志物的开发，提供了靶标验证如何帮助药物发现过程以及如何根据所使用的技术解释结果的示例。在这篇综述中，我们概述了Aurora激酶的靶标和生物标志物验证的主要工具，概念和策略，重点是RNA干扰实验得出的验证结果。这些数据对于决定进入药物开发的下一步以及为临床试验选择合适的生物标志物至关重要。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Little research has been conducted to validate pain assessment tools in critical care, especially for patients who cannot communicate verbally. OBJECTIVE:To validate the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool. METHODS:A total of 105 cardiac surgery patients in the intensive care unit, recruited in a cardiology health center in Quebec, Canada, participated in the study. Following surgery, 33 of the 105 were evaluated while unconscious and intubated and 99 while conscious and intubated; all 105 were evaluated after extubation. For each of the 3 testing periods, patients were evaluated by using the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool at rest, during a nociceptive procedure (positioning), and 20 minutes after the procedure, for a total of 9 assessments. Each patient's self-report of pain was obtained while the patient was conscious and intubated and after extubation. RESULTS:The reliability and validity of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool were acceptable. Interrater reliability was supported by moderate to high weighted kappa coefficients. For criterion validity, significant associations were found between the patients' self-reports of pain and the scores on the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool. Discriminant validity was supported by higher scores during positioning (a nociceptive procedure) versus at rest. CONCLUSIONS:The Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool showed that no matter their level of consciousness, critically ill adult patients react to a noxious stimulus by expressing different behaviors that may be associated with pain. Therefore, the tool could be used to assess the effect of various measures for the management of pain.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The aim of the present study was to test the influence of obesity and the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on the expression of ten housekeeping genes and of the 18S rRNA in a group of human adipose tissue samples from the omental and subcutaneous depot. Adipose tissue biopsies were obtained by laparoscopic surgery from lean and obese patients. After the extraction, mRNA levels in adipose tissue samples were quantified by real-time PCR using the commercial HUMAN ENDOGENOUS CONTROL PLATES. From the genes analyzed, 18S rRNA exhibited the most stable expression levels in both depots regardless of the pathophysiological conditions of obesity and obesity-associated T2DM. Contrarily, GAPD was the gene with the highest variation in its expression levels, being upregulated (8.0-fold) in the obese group and downregulated (3.5-fold) in obesity-associated T2DM. Our results show that 18S rRNA may be the most suitable gene for normalization in expression studies performed in human adipose tissue samples obtained from patients suffering from obesity and/or obesity-associated T2DM, whereas GAPD is less appropriate for comparison purposes under these circumstances.

背景与目标： : 本研究的目的是测试肥胖和2型糖尿病 (T2DM) 的存在对来自网膜和皮下仓库的一组人类脂肪组织样品中十个管家基因和18S rRNA表达的影响。脂肪组织活检是通过腹腔镜手术从瘦和肥胖患者中获得的。提取后，使用商业人类内源性对照板通过实时PCR定量脂肪组织样品中的mRNA水平。从分析的基因来看，无论肥胖和肥胖相关的T2DM的病理生理状况如何，18S rRNA在两个仓库中均表现出最稳定的表达水平。相反，GAPD是其表达水平变化最高的基因，在肥胖组中上调 (8.0倍)，在肥胖相关的T2DM中下调 (3.5倍)。我们的结果表明，在从肥胖和/或肥胖相关的T2DM患者获得的人脂肪组织样本中进行的表达研究中，18S rRNA可能是最适合标准化的基因，而在这些情况下，GAPD不太适合用于比较目的。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: UNLABELLED:This article summarizes the work done to adapt and to validate the short form of Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12) for its use in Spain. It will become the first validated questionnaire in this country for the evaluation of the sexual function in women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse and/or Urinary Incontinence. PATIENTS AND METHOD:49 women who visited a specialized unit with symptoms of pelvic floor were included. Patients filled in the Spanish version of the questionnaire to validate (PISQ-12), the Urinary Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ-UI-SF); the Female Sexual Function Questionnaire (FSM) and the Bladder Control Autoevaluation Questionnaire (CACV). Factibility, reliability and validity of the new questionnaire were evaluated. RESULTS:Factibility: 99.83% of the sample answered all the items (only one patient did not answer one of the items); average administration time 3.5 (1.5) minutes. RELIABILITY:Cronbach's alpha was 0,829. VALIDITY:PISQ-12 correlation with FSM was 0,71; with ICIQ-UI-SF it was -0,038; with the CACV "symptoms" dimension the correlation was -0,30 and with the "discomfort" dimension it was -0,40. The existence of the same three dimensions of the PISQ-12 original version in the adapted Spanish questionnaire is checked through a factorial analysis. The score in PISQ-12 was worse (lower) in the case of women with Hyperactive Bladder symptoms and discomfort measured with the CACV questionnaire and in women with sexual dysfunction measured with FSM. PISQ-12 is an instrument with the appropriate psychometric characteristics to evaluate sexual function in women with pelvic floor problems.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Traffic Injuries are a major public health problem, especially among young people. However, we have not found any useful questionnaire designed in our country for the epidemiological research in this field. The objective of this study was to design and validate an easy and quickly-to-fill questionnaire aimed to collect information on how frequently university car drivers report to be involved in driving circumstances theoretically related to traffic crashes. METHODS:Between 2007 and 2010, a total of 1597 young undergraduate students at the University of Granada answered a self-administered questionnaire collecting information about exposure, accidents and involvement in 28 different driving circumstances. For designing this questionnaire, an extensive literature review was carried out and the opinions of five experts in a panel were also taken into account. By applying the tetracoric correlation coefficient, we conducted a factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Finally, we evaluated the crude and adjusted association of each identified factor with the odds for having suffered an accident. RESULTS:After excluding 8 circumstances, the remaining ones were grouped into three factors: the first one included ten high-prevalence circumstances and explained 31.9% of the total variability. Meanwhile, the other two factors included five circumstances each one which respectively explained 15.2% and 12.5% of the variability. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged between 0.816 and 0.553. When adjustments according age, sex, years in possession of the driving license and intensity of exposure were made, the first factor obtained the score more strongly associated with the accident rate (OR = 1.51; CI95%: 1.25-1.85). CONCLUSIONS:The final version (20 circumstances) identified three factors related to higher accident rates among the young drivers. The first one integrated, among other circumstances, the excessive speed and driving while sleepy or tired and it was the most closely associated with the accident rate in the adjusted analysis. The second factor included, among others, the commission of driving offences, and the third one included driving under the influence of alcohol, not always wearing the seat belt and distractions.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: PURPOSE:The present study validated the abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire for general use in New Zealand. METHODS:A random postal sample from the national electoral roll was used, and 808 questionnaires were returned. Psychometric properties of the instrument were assessed, including tests of the four-domain factor structure using confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis. RESULTS:Goodness-of-fit from the confirmatory factor analysis were good, and the overall conclusion of the Rasch analysis supported the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) findings after dealing with problems of threshold ordering, local dependency, and differential item functioning (DIF). CONCLUSIONS:The WHOQOL-BREF is valid for general use in New Zealand. In the future work, the WHOQOL-BREF domain scores should either be analyzed using non-parametric statistics or data should be fitted to the Rasch model to derive interval person estimates.

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