Figure 4.

Experimental Validation of qhMRT

Statistical descriptors of temperature distributions as a function of time, derived from temperature profiles shown in Figure 3A (see also Table S1). Weighted mean and median temperatures remain rather stable as long as heat exchange between the two gel compartments dominates thermal behavior (i.e., during the first 30 s); then, means and medians increase to the final value (top left). This is confirmed by the coalescence of the two modes (peak maxima) and their approaching the final temperature (bottom left). Progressive narrowing of the temperature profiles is reflected by decreasing range and standard deviation values (top left and right). Among other descriptors, kurtosis (peakedness), skewness (symmetry), and entropy (evenness, smoothness) offer quantitative measures of the shapes of temperature distribution curves (top right). Two partially separate areas can be distinguished below some of the temperature distribution profiles shown in Figure 3A; for each of these profiles, two separate areas (area1 and area2) below the curve can be quantified, and the temporal evolution of the area1/area2 ratio can be followed as a function of time (bottom right). This also applies to the heights of the individual peaks over these areas (height1 and height2).

Reproduced from Lutz and Bernard (2018a), no permission required.