Cluster Analysis Of Variables Research Articles

Developing a new methodology for determining typologies of peri-urban agriculture: A case study of the Jakarta Bandung Mega Urban Region Indonesia

Peri-urban agriculture (PUA) has different ecological, socio-institutional, and economic conditions. The dynamic characteristics of PUA are driven by the location in a rural-to-urban transitional zone. In this context, a new approach should be developed for identifying PUA typologies to facilitate more effective and relatively quick policy management and planning. Therefore, this study aims to develop new categories and a set of methodologies to determine PUA typologies using statistical approaches such as variable simplification (Principal Component Analysis), cluster analysis (K-means), and village-based spatial characterization mapping. A structured selection was conducted to determine the case studies, and two adjacent suburban districts in the Jakarta Bandung Mega Urban Region (JBMUR) corridor were obtained. The results show that there is a new insight into the use of spatial approaches and the relationship between empirical conditions at the local level and policies related to PUA. The developed typology approach describes significant variations in agricultural conditions based on the intensity. Strategies and recommendations for PUA development based on typology are also proposed.

The time-variable ultraviolet sky: Active galactic nuclei, stars, and white dwarfs

Here, we present the first catalog of Ultraviolet time-VAriable sources (1UVA). We describe a new analysis pipeline called VAriable Source Clustering Analysis (VASCA). We applied this pipeline to ten years of data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite. We analyzed a sky area $ deg ^2$, and detected 4,202 time-variable ultraviolet (UV) sources. We cross-correlated these sources with multi-frequency data from the Gaia satellite and the Set of Identifications, Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data (SIMBAD) database, finding an association for 3,655 sources. The source sample was dominated by active galactic nuclei ( percent ) and stars ( percent ). We examined the UV and multi-frequency properties of these sources, focusing on the stellar population. We found UV variability for four white dwarfs (WDs). One of them, WD J004917.14-252556.81, was recently found to be the most massive pulsating WD. Its spectral energy distribution shows no sign of a stellar companion. The observed flux variability was unexpected and difficult to explain.

Metabolic syndromes increase significantly with the accumulation of bad dietary habits.

The association between dietary habits and metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been well documented, due to the complexity and individualization of dietary culture in the Chinese population. To construct a composite score from various bad dietary habits and to evaluate their comprehensive association with the prevalence of MetS and its components among Chinese men and women across various age groups. Serial cross-sectional studies. Twenty-three dietary habits were assessed through face-to-face interviews with 98,838 males and 83,099 females in health check-up programs from 2015 to 2021, among which eighteen bad dietary habits were observed to be associated independently with total MetS. The total score of bad dietary habits was composed of four categories via variable clustering analysis, including irregular dietary habits, unhealthy dietary flavors, unbalanced dietary structure, and high-fat diet. The 2016 Chinese guideline for the management of dyslipidemia in adults was used to define MetS. Men had a higher score of bad dietary habits than women (9.63 ± 3.11 vs. 8.37 ± 3.23), which decreased significantly with increasing age in both males and females (Pinteraction<0.01). The prevalence of total MetS increased significantly with the cumulative score of bad dietary habits in both males (highest quintile vs. lowest quintile: OR, 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80-2.00; Plinear<0.01) and females (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 2.02-2.46; Plinear<0.01) after adjusted for age, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activities. These linear trends were also observed for each MetS component (all Plinear<0.01). The role of irregular dietary habits and high-fat diet on MetS prevalence are much higher in males than in females, while unhealthy dietary flavors and unbalanced dietary structure had a greater influence on females. The accumulation of bad dietary habits contributes to the MetS developments. Thus, individualized lifestyle interventions are needed to correct bad dietary habits with regard to gender differences.

Modelling the physiological, muscular, and sensory characteristics in relation to beef quality from 15 cattle breeds

Sensory beef quality is an important parameter for consumers, but it is difficult to understand what determines quality because of the large variation due to breed, type of animal, sex, and farm management. To address these challenges, meat samples from Longissimus thoracis (LT) were collected 24 h after slaughter from a total of 436 young bulls representing 15 cattle breeds. The samples were analysed for physiological, muscular, and sensory characteristics to evaluate beef quality. Ten groups of variables were identified by hierarchical cluster analysis of individual variables and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The variables described distinct characteristics, including Physiologicaltraits (animal maturity, growth rate, muscle mass), Sensorytraits (tenderness, juiciness, flavor, meat colour), and some Muscularcharacteristics such as lipid content, maturation enzymes and oxidative metabolism, which are likely to discriminate among breeds. The analyses showed that muscular characteristics are positively associated with beef sensory characteristics whereas physiological characteristics are negatively associated with sensory quality. Dairy breeds produced beef rich in lipids with a strong flavour, French breeds showed fast growth rate and highly flavoured meat, and Italian breeds were characterised by good muscular development. In contrast, British breeds have oxidative muscles and produce beef with a strong flavour. Danish breeds have an intermediate score for the sensorial and muscular characteristics.

Early-onset alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use with age at onset of hypertension: a survival analysis.

To examine the associations of age when first substance use and early-onset substance use before age 18 with age at onset (AAO) of hypertension. This study included 19,270 individuals with AAO of hypertension from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Age when first use of 10 substance use variables included alcohol, daily cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), inhalants, and methamphetamine use. The outcome was AAO of hypertension and variable cluster analysis was used to classify the exposures and outcome. Substance use status was classified into three categories: early-onset substance use (first used substance before age 18), late-onset substance use (first used substance after age 18), and never used. The mean AAO of hypertension was 42.7years. Age when first use of 10 substance use variables had significant correlations with AAO of hypertension (all p values < 0.001). Individuals with early-onset alcohol, cigars, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, hallucinogens, inhalants, cocaine, LSD, and methamphetamine use revealed significantly earlier onset of hypertension than those never used. Compared with never used substances, the Cox regression model showed that early-onset alcohol, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, and methamphetamine use had an increased risk of AAO of hypertension [hazard ratio (HR) (95%CI) = 1.22 (1.13, 1.31), 1.36 (1.24, 1.49), 1.85 (1.75, 1.95), 1.41 (1.30, 1.52), and 1.27 (1.07,1.50), respectively]. These findings suggest that intervention strategies or programs focusing on preventing early-onset substance use before age 18 may delay the onset of adult hypertension.

Hierarchical variable clustering via copula-based divergence measures between random vectors

This article considers rank-invariant clustering of continuous data via copula-based Φ-dependence measures. The general theoretical framework establishes dependence quantification between random vectors (groups of variables), which is used for measuring the similarity between variable clusters in an agglomerative hierarchical procedure afterwards. Special attention is devoted to meta-elliptical copulas, where we present an improved kernel estimator for the density generator and a corresponding bandwidth selector. This allows for non-Gaussian similarities also capturing e.g. tail dependence. Further, a fully non-parametric estimator is considered, enabling cluster detection in contexts where other measures fail. The theory is supported by simulations and a real data example, focusing on cluster analysis of continuous variables.

Cluster analysis of flowcytometric immunophenotyping with extended T cell subsets in suspected immunodeficiency.

Patients with immunodeficiencies commonly experience diagnostic delays resulting in morbidity. There is an unmet need to identify patients earlier, especially those with high risk for complications. Compared to immunoglobulin quantification and flowcytometric B cell subset analysis, expanded T cell subset analysis is rarely performed in the initial evaluation of patients with suspected immunodeficiency. The simultaneous interpretation of multiple immune variables, including lymphocyte subsets, is challenging. To evaluate the diagnostic value of cluster analyses of immune variables in patients with suspected immunodeficiency. Retrospective analysis of 38 immune system variables, including seven B cell and sixteen T cell subpopulations, in 107 adult patients (73 with immunodeficiency, 34 without) evaluated at a tertiary outpatient immunology clinic. Correlation analyses of individual variables, k-means cluster analysis with evaluation of the classification into "no immunodeficiency" versus "immunodeficiency" and visual analyses of hierarchical heatmaps were performed. Binary classification of patients into groups with and without immunodeficiency was correct in 54% of cases with the full data set and increased to 69% and 75% of cases, respectively, when only 16 variables with moderate (p < .05) or 7 variables with strong evidence (p < .01) for a difference between groups were included. In a cluster heatmap with all patients but only moderately differing variables and a heatmap with only immunodeficient patients restricted to T cell variables alone, segregation of most patients with common variable immunodeficiency and combined immunodeficiency was observed. Cluster analyses of immune variables, including detailed lymphocyte flowcytometry with T cell subpopulations, may support clinical decision making for suspected immunodeficiency in daily practice.

Abstract 17273: Phenotypic Clustering of Patients With Heterotaxy Syndrome Predicts Outcomes of Mortality and Transplantation

Background: Current classifications of heterotaxy syndrome (HS) (e.g. left/right isomerism, polysplenia/asplenia) do not capture the heterogeneity of cardiac anomalies observed nor provide insight on risk stratification. We aimed to improve these classifications using cluster analysis to identify anatomic phenotypes in HS patients. Methods: Using a retrospective database of all HS patients seen at Boston Children’s Hospital from 1985-2014 (n=264), we performed principal component and cluster analyses on 47 cardiac anatomic variables and compared rates of mortality/transplantation across clusters. Results: Five clusters were identified ranging in size from 19 to 91 patients. Cluster #1 had a high prevalence of right-dominant complete atrioventricular canal defects (CAVC), double-outlet right ventricle (DORV), pulmonary stenosis/atresia (PS/PA), and total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC); Cluster #2 of left-dominant CAVC, DORV, and TAPVC; Cluster #3 of left-sided obstructive lesions and interrupted IVC; Cluster #4 of transposition of the great arteries with PS/PA; and Cluster #5 of interrupted IVC with miscellaneous cardiac anomalies (Table). Over 80% of patients in clusters 1 and 2 underwent single ventricle palliation compared with only 16% of patients in cluster 5. Transplant-free survival was lowest in clusters 1, 2, and 3 but differed by single versus biventricular repair (Figure). Conclusions: Cluster analysis of cardiac anatomic variables identified 5 phenotypes of HS including 3 higher risk and 2 lower risk phenotypes. These findings highlight the need for improved phenotyping of HS to account for the high degree of disease heterogeneity.

Derivation and validation of four patient clusters in Still’s disease, results from GIRRCS AOSD-study group and AIDA Network Still Disease Registry

BackgroundDifferent patient clusters were preliminarily suggested to dissect the clinical heterogeneity in Still’s disease. Thus, we aimed at deriving and validating disease clusters in a multicentre, observational, prospective study to...

Associations of adolescent substance use and depressive symptoms with adult major depressive disorder in the United States: NSDUH 2016–2019

BackgroundFew studies have focused on the associations of adolescent substance use and depressive symptoms with adult major depressive disorder (MDD). MethodsData from 168,859 adults, among which, 15,959 had experienced MDD in the past year, as indicated by a major depressive episode (MDE) marked by MDD symptoms, were from the 2016–2019 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Weighted multivariable logistic regression (MLR) analyses were used to determine the associations. ResultsThe overall MDD prevalence was 7.2 %, whereas the prevalence for adults without early onset depressive symptoms prior to age 18 was 4.6 %. Variable cluster analysis revealed that adolescent use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogen use, and inhalants prior to age 18 were in one cluster. MLR analyses showed that the presence of depressive symptoms prior to age 18 was the major risk factor for MDD, while adolescent use of alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants prior to age 18 were associated with increased odds of MDD (p < 0.05) both in the whole data and the subset of adults without depressive symptoms prior to age 18. Adolescent use of cocaine prior to age 18 were associated with MDD only in the whole data, whereas adolescent smokeless tobacco use was associated with MDD only in those without depressive symptoms prior to age 18. ConclusionsThese findings highlight the comorbid early substance use and depressive symptoms during adolescence with adult MDD. Intervention strategies should simultaneously address early-onset substance use and depressive symptoms prior to age 18.

A karyomorphological comparison of seven species of Achillea L. from Kurdistan of Iran

We conducted the present study on seven important medicinal species of Achillea (in a total of 28 populations) in their natural habitats. The results indicated that the populations had a base number (x= 9) and the diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploidy levels were observed. In addition to the inter-species diversity, there was the intra-species genetic diversity as A. millefolium (4x, 6x), A. vermicularis (2x, 4x), A. tenuifolia (2x, 4x), A. Aleppica (2x), A. talagonica (2x), A. biebersteinii, and A. wilhelmsii (4x). Furthermore, studies also indicated that 11 out of 28 populations had 1A symmetry, 15 populations had 2B symmetry, a population had 2A, and another population had 2B. Cluster analysis of cytogenetic variables could differentiate only the species of A. aleppica, A. talagonica and A. wilhelmsii but others could not separate differences between species appropriately, probably due to the superiority of intra-species diversity of populations to inter-species diversity. Furthermore, we found %TF and DRL are useful parameters for differentiating intrachromosomal variation of species.

Gaze Control and Tactical Decision-Making Under Stress in Active-Duty Police Officers During a Live Use-of-Force Response

Police officers during dynamic and stressful encounters are required to make rapid decisions that rely on effective decision-making, experience, and intuition. Tactical decision-making is influenced by the officer’s capability to recognize critical visual information and estimation of threat. The purpose of the current study is to investigate how visual search patterns using cluster analysis and factors that differentiate expertise (e.g., years of service, tactical training, related experiences) influence tactical decision-making in active-duty police officers (44 active-duty police officers) during high stress, high threat, realistic use of force scenario following a car accident and to examine the relationships between visual search patterns and physiological response (heart rate). A cluster analysis of visual search variables (fixation duration, fixation location difference score, and number of fixations) produced an Efficient Scan and an Inefficient Scan group. Specifically, the Efficient Scan group demonstrated longer total fixation duration and differences in area of interests (AOI) fixation duration compared to the Inefficient Scan group. Despite both groups exhibiting a rise in physiological stress response (HR) throughout the high-stress scenario, the Efficient Scan group had a history of tactical training, improved return fire performance, had higher sleep time total, and demonstrated increased processing efficiency and effective attentional control, due to having a background of increased tactical training.

The complexity of theory of mind deficit in schizophrenia: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a longitudinal schizophrenia study

A large number of trials have supported the functional significance of Theory of Mind (ToM) impairment in schizophrenia. However, the nature and the extent of the impairment are still unclear. Reviews on the topic suggest that, in many cases, studies use only one tool to assess the levels of difficulty in the field, limiting the validity of the measurement to one aspect of ToM. On the other hand, the divergence of the used assessment tools makes it hard to compare the result of these studies. Thus, we decided to use additional assessment tools to evaluate the extent of ToM in order to describe several aspects of the phenomenon.A hierarchical cluster analysis of variables was used on a sample of 68 participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, to determine the similarity between variances of the assessed ToM subcomponents. Further cross-sectional correlational analysis was then performed to investigate the association between the identified clusters and other used measures (e.g.: neurocognition).The statistical analysis supported a five-cluster model. Identified clusters illustrate the difference between Hypo and HyperToM as well as the degree of ToM task complexity, allowing for a more accurate description of the nature of ToM deficit in schizophrenia.

Groundwater chemistry and health hazard risk valuation of fluoride and nitrate enhanced groundwater from a semi-urban region of South India.

Evaluation of groundwater chemistry and its related health hazard risk for humans is a prerequisite remedial measure. The semi-urban region in southern India was selected to measure the groundwater quality to know the human health risk valuation for different age groups of adults and children through oral intake and skin contact with elevated concentrations of fluoride ([Formula: see text]) and nitrate ([Formula: see text]) groundwater. Groundwater samples were collected from the semi-urban region for pre- and post-rainfall periods and resolute its major ion chemistry. The pH values showed the water is alkaline to neutral in nature. Total dissolved solid (TDS) ranged from 201 to 3612mg/l and 154 to 3457mg/l. However, [Formula: see text] concentration ranges from 0.28 to 5.48mg/l and 0.21 to 4.43mg/l; and NO3- ranges from 0.09 to 897.28mg/l and 0.0 to 606.10mg/l elevating the drinking water standards of [Formula: see text] in 32% and 38% samples and for [Formula: see text] about 62% and 38% during pre- and post-rainfall seasons, respectively. The fluoride-bearing minerals are the main sources of elevated concentrations of [Formula: see text] and excessive use of chemical fertilizers as the chief source of NO3- concentration in the aquifer regime. Water quality index (WQI) ranged from 18.3 to 233 and 12.97 to 219.14; 20% and 22% showed poor water quality for pre- and post-rainfall seasons with WQI ≥ 200. Piper plot suggests that 46% and 51% of samples signify carbonate water type ([Formula: see text]), and 32% and 28% of groundwater samples show ([Formula: see text]) type water for pre- and post-rainfall seasons respectively. Gibbs' plot suggests the dominance of water-rock interaction in the aquifer system. Further, the principal component analysis (PCA) revealed three and four components which explain 74.85% and 79.30% of the variance in pre- and post-rainfall seasons with positive loading of EC, TDS, Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+, K+, [Formula: see text], Cl-, and [Formula: see text] due to mineral weathering and water-rock interactions altering the chemistry for an elevated concentration of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in groundwater. Cluster analyses of chemical variables observed four clusters with a linkage distance of 5 to 25 with a linkage between different variables displaying predominant ion exchange, weathering of silicate and fluoride-rich minerals, salinization of the water, and a high value of [Formula: see text] concentration, resulting from fertilizers. The hazard quotient (HQ) through ingestion (HQing) and dermal (HQder) pathways of F- and NO3- was observed higher than its acceptable limit of 1.0 for different age groups indicating the non-carcinogenic effect on human health. Effective strategic measures like defluoridation, denitrification, safe drinking water supply, sanitary facilities, and rainwater harvesting structures are to be implemented in the area for improvement of human health conditions and also bring awareness to the local community about the health hazard effects of using high concentrated [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] water for daily uses.

Моделювання рівня соціально-економічного розвитку регіонів на основі proxy-змінних

The article proposes models for assessing the level of socioeconomic development and economic security of regions, on the basis of a synthesis of the proxy variable technique and cluster analysis, which allow to assess changes in interregional differentiation, spatial economic transformations, identify «pivotal» regions, assess the level of economic security of regions under conditions of limited data. The system of proxy-variables of socioeconomic development of regions is substantiated; classifications of regions by the level of socioeconomic development on the basis of methods of hierarchical, agglomerative and iterative cluster analysis have been developed; a dynamic analysis of the structure of clusters is carried out; changes in the characteristics of the distribution of proxy-variables are analyzed; an assessment of interregional differentiation and asymmetry of development is carried out. The results of the carried out cluster analysis based on proxy variables helped to conclude that recent years have led to significant transformations of the economic space in the regional aspect. In the cluster of «pivotal» regions, there is a strengthening of the positions of Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv regions, convergence with regions with an average level of development – Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa regions. The most critical situation is typical for Luhansk, Donetsk, and Kherson regions. Donetsk region has moved from a cluster of regions with an average level of development to a cluster of regions with crisis development. The relocation of enterprises and smoothing out the asymmetry in the variable of «Growth of legal entities» currently affects the indicators of budget security of the regions to a lesser extent. Kharkiv region, despite the deterioration of the socioeconomic situation, maintains its position in the cluster of «pivotal» regions. The obtained results can be used in the system of anticipative management of regional development to adapt regional strategies to new realities.

White matter integrity and key structures affected in Alzheimer's disease characterized by diffusion tensor imaging.

White matter (WM) degeneration is suggested to predict the early signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The exact structural regions of brain circuitry involved are not known. This study aims to examine the associations between WM tract integrity, represented by the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures, and AD diagnosis and to denote the key substrates in predicting AD. It included DTI measures of mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy, radial diffusivity and axial diffusivity of 18 main WM tracts in 84 non-Hispanic white participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset. The multivariable general linear model was used to examine the association of AD diagnosis with each DTI measure adjusting for age, gender and education. The corpus callosum, fornix, cingulum hippocampus, uncinate fasciculus, sagittal striatum, left posterior thalamic radiation and fornix-stria terminalis showed significant increases in MD, radial and axial diffusivity, whereas the splenium of corpus callosum and the fornix showed significant decreases in fractional anisotropy among AD patients. Variable cluster analysis identified that hippocampus volume, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), cingulate gyrus/hippocampus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus are highly correlated in one cluster with MD measures. In conclusion, there were significant differences in DTI measures between the brain WM of AD patients and controls. Age is the risk factor associated with AD, not gender or education. Right cingulum gyrus and right uncinate fasciculus are particularly affected, correlating well with a cognitive test MMSE and MD measures for dementia in AD patients and could be a region of focus for AD staging.

Gender and social policy in middle-income countries: comparative welfare regime analysis of fiscal policies

ABSTRACT Gosta Esping-Andersen (1990), in his ground-breaking book, Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, created a decommodification index to classify advanced capitalist countries into the liberal, conservative-corporatist, and social-democratic welfare regimes. One of the most common criticisms of Esping-Andersen’s typology by feminists such as Jane Lewis (1992) is that it is ‘male-centric’ and did not address women’s unpaid work with families. Ann Shola Orloff (1993) has gone a step further in the criticism of Esping-Andersen’s typology by addressing women’s opportunity to paid employment and the capability to establish and run an independent households. I originally used the framework to analyse the socio-legal dimensions of expenditure in MICs; in this paper, the decommodification index has focused on variables that are on the fiscal side. Theoretically, this paper contributes to gender and social policy discussions on women’s access to employment and related entitlements. Empirically, it creates clusters of MICs into three based on latent class analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of economic, social, and legal variables, such as availability of non-tax benefits to private child-care centres, provision of child-care services by the government; tax-deductible payments for child-care; provision of legal-aid for family and criminal issues.

Echocardiographic phenotypes of Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes may indicate early diabetic myocardial disease.

Type 2 diabetes may impair cardiac structure and function at very early stage, other factors, for example, obesity and hypertension, can induce aforementioned abnormalities individually. This study aimed to explore precise prevention and treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) by using cluster analysis of echocardiographic variables. A total of 66536 inpatients with diabetes from 2013 to 2018 were investigated, and 7112 patients were available for analysis after nadir. The cluster analysis was performed on echocardiographic variables to assess the clinical profiles and risk factors of clusters. Two clusters were identified. Cluster 1 with 3576 patients (50.3%, including 62.5% female) had hypertension in 62.4%, while the lower rate of obesity (13.7%). Ultrasound findings showed that 79.9% of them had left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), the most characteristic change in the early stages of DCM. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), uric acid and antithrombin III were independent risk factors for LVDD (P<0.0001); 64.0% of the 3536 patients in the second group were male, with a high prevalence of obesity (30.1%) and a higher prevalence of hypertension (79.5%), In particular, decreased systolic function and a high rate of LV hypertrophy (46.8%) represented the progressive phase of DCM (P<0.0001). SBP, diastolic blood pressure, BMI and creatinine were independent correlates of LV mass index (P<0.05). The cluster analysis of echocardiographic variables may improve the identification of groups of patients with similar risks and different disease courses and will facilitate the achievement of targeted early prevention and treatment of DCM.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with antiphospholipid antibodies based on cluster analysis: an 8-year cohort study

BackgroundAntiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) positivity with a wide manifestation spectrum. A risk stratification is needed for management guidance and prognosis assessment. We aimed to identify phenotypes among aPL-positive patients and assess the prognosis of each phenotype.MethodsThis was a single-center, prospective cohort study of aPL-positive patients presented to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2012 to 2020. Demographic characteristics, aPL-related manifestations, cardiovascular risk factors, and antibodies profiles were recorded. The primary endpoint was defined as a combination of newly onset thrombosis, major bleeding events, non-criteria manifestations, and all-cause death. Hierarchical cluster analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed.ResultsFour clusters among 383 patients (70.2% female; mean age 37.7 years) were identified. Cluster 1 (n = 138): patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and non-criteria manifestations; cluster 2 (n = 112): patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors; cluster 3 (n = 83): female patients with obstetric morbidity; cluster 4 (n = 50): patients with isolated lupus anticoagulant (LA) positivity.Non-criteria manifestations were found aggregated with SLE from cluster analysis of variables. Cluster 3 showed the best outcome, while cluster 2 suffered highest frenquency of newly onset arterial thrombosis.ConclusionsWe identified 4 clinical phenotypes of aPL-positive patients. Non-criteria manifestations may indicate underlying SLE, for which immunosuppressive therapy besides anticoagulation may be necessary. Patients with isolated LA positivity suffered similar risks with secondary APS and patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Attention should be paid to male patients, and the screening of cardiovascular risk factors should never be ignored.

Blood Neutrophil Counts Define Specific Clusters of Bronchiectasis Patients: A Hint to Differential Clinical Phenotypes.

We sought to investigate differential phenotypic characteristics according to neutrophil counts, using a biostatistics approach in a large-cohort study from the Spanish Online Bronchiectasis Registry (RIBRON). The 1034 patients who met the inclusion criteria were clustered into two groups on the basis of their blood neutrophil levels. Using the Mann–Whitney U test to explore potential differences according to FACED and EFACED scores between the two groups, a neutrophil count of 4990 cells/µL yielded the most balanced cluster sizes: (1) above-threshold (n = 337) and (2) below-threshold (n = 697) groups. Patients above the threshold showed significantly worse lung function parameters and nutritional status, while systemic inflammation levels were higher than in the below-threshold patients. In the latter group, the proportions of patients with mild disease were greater, while a more severe disease was present in the above-threshold patients. According to the blood neutrophil counts using biostatistics analyses, two distinct clinical phenotypes of stable patients with non-CF bronchiectasis were defined. Patients falling into the above-threshold cluster were more severe. Severity was characterized by a significantly impaired lung function parameters and nutritional status, and greater systemic inflammation. Phenotypic profiles of bronchiectasis patients are well defined as a result of the cluster analysis of combined systemic and respiratory variables.