Some Chronic Conditions Produce Episodes of Severe Flare-Ups ("Active" Stage)

Multiple Choice

Some chronic conditions produce episodes of severe flare-ups ("active" stage) between healthy periods ("inactive" stage) . The active stage often necessitates immediate medical treatment. Researchers looked for biomarkers that might help identify these active stages. Here are data on the relative abundance of the protein BPG0199 in two independent random samples of men with the same chronic condition, 7 men in the active phase and 9 men in the inactive phase:
$$\begin{array} { | l | l | } \hline \text { Active } & \text { Inactive } \\\hline 2.6 & 1.2 \\\hline 2.7 & 2.1 \\\hline 2.0 & 1.8 \\\hline 2.4 & 1.5 \\\hline 1.9 & 1.9 \\\hline 1.4 & 3.2 \\\hline 1.8 & 1.3 \\\hline & 1.9 \\\hline & 1.6 \\\hline\end{array}$$ We want to know if there is a significant difference in the relative abundance of the protein BPG0199 between men in the active stage and men in the inactive phase. Therefore, we test the following hypotheses:
?
H₀: ?_A= ?₁ versus H_a: ?_A? ?₁
Which assumption must be TRUE for this test result to be correct?

A) The same individuals must be measured during an active phase and during an inactive phase.
B) The population standard deviations must be equal.
C) The sample standard deviations must be similar.
D) The population distributions must be roughly Normal.