Re: MEAN CHANNEL VALUE

From: Alice L. Givan (Alice.L.Givan@dartmouth.edu)
Date: Thu Mar 22 2001 - 08:58:38 EST


Flowers,
Just to add another perspective,  it seems to me that if you are trying to correlate
flow data with any kind of biochemical or bulk analysis (eg the total fluorescence
of cells in suspension as measured on a fluorimeter or the concentration of a soluble
component ) --- then the only valid correlation by flow would be with the arithmetic
mean (NOT the geometric mean and NOT the median).

This is because the median and the geometric mean both "underestimate" the contribution
from outliers whereas a bulk assay evaluates everything in proportion to its actual
value.

However,  I do agree that the median is probably the most robust flow number ---
just because it does not respond sensitively to outliers.......

Alice

Alice L. Givan
Englert Cell Analysis Laboratory
of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center
Dartmouth Medical School
Lebanon, New Hampshire NH 03756
tel 603-650-7661
fax 603-650-6130
givan@dartmouth.edu



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