Cross-cultural evaluation of the French version of the LEIPAD, a health-related quality of life instrument for use in the elderly living at home.

PURPOSE: To cross-culturally adapt a French version of the LEIPAD, a self-administered questionnaire assessing the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults aged 65 years and over living at home, and to evaluate its psychometric properties. METHODS: After having translated LEIPAD in accordance with guidelines, we studied psychometric properties: reliability and construct validity-factor analysis, relationships between items and scales, internal consistency, concurrent validity with the Medical Outcome Study Short-Form 36 and known-groups validity. RESULTS: The results obtained in a sample of 195 elderly from the general population showed very good acceptability, with response rates superior to 93 %. Exploratory factor analysis extracted eight factors providing a multidimensionality structure with five misclassifications of items in the seven theoretical scales. Good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.73 and 0.86) and strong test-retest reliability (ICCs higher than 0.80 for six scales and 0.70 for one) were demonstrated. Concurrent validity with the SF-36 showed small to strong expected correlations. CONCLUSION: This first evaluation of the French version of LEIPAD's psychometric properties provides evidence in construct validity and reliability. It would allow HRQoL assessment in clinical and common practice, and investigators would be able to take part in national and international research projects.

X-ray structure of a trimeric 5,5'-biaryl/erythro-beta-O-4-ether lignin model: evidence for through-space weak interactions.

The crystal structure of a trimeric lignin model 1 presenting the characteristic pattern of biphenyl (5,5') and aryl-alkyl-ether (beta-O-4) linkages has been determined. The crystal system is triclinic and the crystallographic unit cell consists of two monomeric molecules. These results are compared with crystal data from the literature of simple models of the 5,5' and beta-O-4 structure type. The availability of a terminal aldehyde function on the model affords some interesting intermolecular interactions by weak hydrogen bonding which controls the conformation of the molecule and the aromatic ring orientation in particular; an unexpected cisoïd conformation of the biaryl unit is observed based on the 64.4 degrees value found for the torsion angle between the two 5,5' aromatic rings.