An investigator wants to assess whether smoking is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Electronic medical records at a local hospital will be used to identify 50 patients with pancreatic cancer. One hundred patients who are similar, but free of pancreatic cancer, will also be selected. Each participant's medical record will be analyzed for smoking history. Identify the type of study proposed and indicate its specific strengths and weaknesses.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

A study is planned to investigate risk factors for sudden cardiac death. A cohort of men and women between the ages of 35 and 70 are enrolled and followed for up to 20 years. As part of the study, participants provide data on demographic and behavioral characteristics, they also undergo testing for cardiac function and provide a blood samples to assess lipid profiles and other biomarkers. A new measure of inflammation is hypothesized to be related to sudden cardiac death. What study design is most appropriate to assess the association between the new biomarker and sudden cardiac death? Describe its strengths and weaknesses.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

Discuss the importance of biostatistics in public health and medical research. Within your discussion, please be sure to include at least two statistical procedures and how their interactions apply to the public health environment.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.