TABLE 3.

Testing of the integrity of clustering by randomizing the initial pair and adding noise in the genesis of dendrograms^a

Noise level (%)	% Original c isolates in new cluster	No. of new isolates penetrating c cluster	Original SAB(s) for added isolate and the original c cluster
0	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	2	0.78, 0.78
	100 (21)	2	0.78, 0.78
	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	4	0.79, 0.79, 0.78, 0.78
2	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	2	0.79, 0.79
	100 (21)	1	0.78
	100 (21)	2	0.79, 0.79
	100 (21)	2	0.79, 0.79
	100 (21)	0
	95 (20)	1	0.78
	100 (21)	0
	100 (21)	0
5	100 (21)	1	0.78
	100 (21)	1	0.78
	100 (21)	0
	95 (20)	1	0.79
	95 (20)	1	0.73
	90 (19)	4	0.78, 0.78, 0.73, 0.73
	100 (21)	3	0.79, 0.76, 0.79
	100 (21)	3	0.78, 0.78, 0.79
	95 (20)	3	0.73, 0.73, 0.78
	100 (21)	0

^aThe integrity of the c cluster of the NE dendrogram (Fig. 5A) was assessed in the analysis. The original c cluster contained 21 isolates. Ten random starts were analyzed at each noise level.