Questions related to the key concepts covered in Unit 3.
Arises from inaccuracies in data collection or classification of exposure/outcome, leading to misclassification.
A bias that leads to inaccuracies in data classification, distorting the perceived association between exposure and outcome.
That the study results may not accurately reflect the true outcomes in the target population.
Must be domestic cats aged 7 years or older, diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, in stable health, and owners must give informed consent.
It refers to selecting participants based on whether they have experienced the outcome of interest.
The study must minimize harm to animals, obtain necessary approvals, and consider the impact on animals and their owners.
An experimental study design.
By following a group over time to see who develops the outcome.
It happens when the people included in a study aren’t typical of the wider group the study is supposed to represent.
It happens when an outside factor (a confounder) is mixed up with the main factors being studied, which can confuse the results.
Target population, one outcome variable, and one or more independent variables.
Criteria used to determine which subjects are included or excluded from a study.
Experiments conducted within a living organism, typically animals, allowing study of complex biological interactions.
Incorrect conclusions about whether a treatment or intervention actually caused an effect.
Controls are selected from a predefined cohort, giving all cohort members an equal chance of selection.
Surveys and case reports.
Effectiveness of a new treatment vs. a control.
A method involving experimenting with different approaches until a successful outcome is achieved.
Drawing conclusions based on data analysis, which can strengthen understanding or provide information for refining the hypothesis.
They sacrifice control over experimental conditions for higher generalizability to human populations.
Fast and cost-effective; useful for generating hypotheses.
In a randomized trial for a new drug, if horses with visible side effects drop out more frequently, the remaining sample may not accurately represent the drug's effectiveness.
They may unconsciously bias their assessment of outcomes, leading to overestimation in the exposed group.
The association between contaminated water and leptospirosis.
They refer to how well the findings of a study can be generalized to other settings, populations, or times.
To describe characteristics or prevalence.
Surveys and observational data.
The specific content of Unit 3 is not provided.
Modifying the study plan to use accessible variables that may not fully represent the target population.
Criteria that determine who is eligible to join a study.
Internal validity is about trusting the study’s results regarding cause and effect, while external validity is about applying those results to other situations or groups.
Relationships or causation between variables.
They can lead to biases if the selection of controls does not appropriately match the cases on other important factors, known as confounding.
1. Observation 2. Question 3. Hypothesis 4. Experiment 5. Analysis 6. Conclusion.
Experiments conducted in a controlled laboratory environment using cell or tissue cultures.
Students prepare for class by studying assigned materials and take a pre-class quiz to ensure understanding.
Can determine associations; useful for hypothesis testing.
Useful for real-world settings; can study rare outcomes.
Recall bias; difficult to establish temporal relationships.
Owners of overweight dogs with osteoarthritis are more likely to participate, leading to an over-representation of dogs with both conditions.
It can introduce information bias and distort the study's conclusions.
The key elements include objectives, background, methodology, budget, and timeline, each serving to outline the purpose and feasibility of the study.
Currently taking medications affecting thyroid function, having serious endocrine disorders, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and severe behavioral issues.
Each team member is responsible for contributing to discussions and activities, promoting shared responsibility for learning.
Consulting mentors or experts helps confirm the importance of the question.
It helps detect differences and estimate sample sizes.
Research using components derived from a living organism, similar to in vitro but with biological materials.
To understand how common or widespread a condition is in a specific population without exploring causes or relationships.
What causes what? (Determines direct relationships between variables)
A comparison between treatments or conditions.
Exposure and outcome simultaneously; snapshot in time.
The universal truth in a real-world target population of interest.
Researchers observe without manipulation.
Controls are selected from individuals who have not developed the outcome by the end of follow-up.
Controls are chosen from the at-risk population at the time each case occurs.
They allow researchers to focus on outcomes that may be rare, making it easier to gather enough data on cases.
By choosing a group of dogs without the disease to compare.
Varying degrees of control over experimental conditions and generalizability to real-world situations.
They provide more predictive results for human health despite less control over extraneous variables.
It facilitates learning and correction of misunderstandings on the spot.
It may be a drug, surgical procedure, type of food, diagnostic test, or management strategy that could beneficially affect the clinical outcome.
Can establish causality; controls for confounding.
Time-consuming; expensive; not ideal for rare diseases.
By reinforcing key concepts and assessing comprehension.
Study results may bear little resemblance to the truth in the accessible population and none to the target population.
Rules for who can participate in a study.
It means the study can realistically be conducted, considering available animals, skills, resources, and funding.
Descriptive studies describe the occurrence of outcomes, while analytical studies investigate relationships between variables.
Randomized controlled trials, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, and case-control studies.
The extent to which the conclusions of a study apply to the population from which the study subjects were selected.
Inclusion criteria specify characteristics that subjects must have to participate, while exclusion criteria specify characteristics that disqualify subjects from participation.
Studies conducted on humans to evaluate the safety and efficacy of medical interventions.
Describing outcomes without examining relationships; includes surveys and observational studies.
Causal relationships between exposures and outcomes.
To recommend interventions or treatments based on established relationships.
Outcomes and look back to determine exposure; can be prevalent or incident.
Selecting a sample from a population.
They refer to how well a study can establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the variables being studied.
Criteria that determine who cannot join a study and why.
It indicates that the question should offer new contributions to knowledge, not just repeat existing findings.
As a facilitator, guiding discussions and providing support rather than acting as a traditional lecturer.
There is no difference in the outcomes between the groups being compared.
A living, non-human animal used in research to understand human diseases without risking harm to humans.
An instructional strategy designed to promote active learning through collaboration among students.
They identify associations but do not establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Descriptive questions focus on prevalence, while predictive questions assess the likelihood of outcomes based on predictors.
Ethical concerns; expensive and time-consuming.
A bias that affects the representativeness of the sample, leading to invalid conclusions about the exposure-outcome relationship.
Different interviewers may probe for pesticide use with varying levels of thoroughness, leading to misclassification of exposure status.
If controls are selected solely from urban areas with low exposure to contaminated water, while cases are from both urban and rural areas, the controls will not represent the true exposure distribution.
Observational study designs.
Sampling on the basis of the outcome.
It occurs when there’s a mistake in how information is collected or measured, leading to inaccurate results.
It ensures the question is original or confirms past findings in a new context.
A quantitative measure indicating the magnitude of a difference or relationship in a study.
To determine if the data supports or refutes the hypothesis, often using statistical methods.
Research examining health and disease patterns within large groups to identify risk factors and develop prevention strategies.
They encourage a variety of perspectives and approaches to problem-solving.
To determine how the intervention compares to an alternative, which could be doing nothing or an existing treatment.
No manipulation; researchers observe subjects in natural settings.
Efficient for studying rare outcomes; can use existing data.
Collecting data from the selected sample to analyze outcomes.
Researchers manipulate the exposure.
Prevalent outcomes.
It should aim to improve animal health or welfare and enhance the researcher's reputation.
To efficiently study the exposure history of those with the outcome versus those without it, helping to identify potential risk factors or associations.
To promote metacognition by allowing students to reflect on their learning experiences and teamwork effectiveness.
Observation: Noticing something in the natural world that piques curiosity.
Provides maximum control over experimental variables, allowing isolation of specific factors.
Students take the same quiz in groups to encourage discussion and collaboration, solidifying their understanding.
Be specific but not too specific; for example, studies in older dogs are relevant, while overly specific populations may yield no studies.
More complex; may be prone to biases.
Quick and inexpensive; good for assessing prevalence.
By finding all dogs diagnosed with mammary neoplasia.
Traditional knowledge systems passed down through generations, offering insights into natural resources, medicine, and sustainable practices.
Integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research.
What is happening? (Describes characteristics or prevalence)
Cannot establish causality; limited in depth of analysis.
To gather information and understand distributions or characteristics.
Cannot determine causality; only provides prevalence data.
The extent to which the results of a study apply to a target population outside the study.
A tentative explanation for the observed phenomenon, essentially an educated guess.
Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome.
If certain characteristics can predict the likelihood of an outcome.
To improve forecasting of outcomes based on certain variables.
Can determine incidence; can study multiple outcomes.
Application exercises that require them to apply their knowledge to solve complex problems, often through case studies.
To determine if one variable directly affects another (cause-and-effect).
Manipulation of variables (e.g., randomized trials).
Follow subjects over time to measure outcomes; can be prospective or retrospective.
The desired effect or result you want to measure in relation to the intervention.
Susceptible to biases; cannot definitively establish causality.
