Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Reference database”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources

A critical review of the possible benefits associated with homeopathic medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the recent scientific research progress on homeopathy. METHODOLOGY: Homeopathy was evaluated in terms of its clinical research; in vitro research, and physical foundations. The Medline database was the main reference source for the present research, concerning data of approximately the last 10 years. Secondary references (not available in this database) were obtained by means of direct requests to authors listed in the primary references. RESULTS: Clinical studies and in vitro research indicate the inefficacy of homeopathy. Some few studies with positive results are questionable because of problems with the quality and lack of appropriate experimental controls in these studies. The most recent meta-analyses on the topic yielded negative results. One of the few previous meta-analyses with positive results had serious publication bias problems, and its results were later substantially reconsidered by the main authors. The sparse in vitro homeopathic research with positive results has not been replicated by independent researchers, had serious methodological flaws, or when replicated, did not confirm the initial positive results. A plausible mechanism for homeopathic action is still nonexistent, and its formulation, by now, seems highly unlikely. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of the recent scientific research on homeopathy, it can be concluded that ample evidence exists to show that the homeopathic therapy is not scientifically justifiable.

Evidence-Based Medicine↗

The effectiveness of hospital pharmacy in the UK: methodology for finding the evidence.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the methodology used to identify United Kingdom (UK) hospital pharmacy practice research work from the last two decades. METHOD: A comprehensive search for citations that appeared to contribute to the overall evidence or in some way measure, demonstrate or evaluate the effectiveness of UK hospital pharmacy practice. This involved a search of thirteen electronic databases covering a wide variety of UK, European and international publications, hand searching of selected UK journals and conference proceedings, a written request for details sent to all UK Chief Pharmacists and Directors of Pharmacy and a bibliography search of each reference identified. All appropriate references were then added to a single computer database. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Number of references identified by each strand of the search strategy. RESULTS: The search initially highlighted a total of 10,099 articles from the thirteen reference databases, but only 281 were considered suitable for inclusion in the final review. Hand searching of the selected journals and conference proceedings yielded another 173 references and the written requests to hospital chief pharmacists resulted in another 128 references being identified. Finally, bibliography searches of the articles identified by the above three methods resulted in another 242 references, bringing the total number of references to 824. CONCLUSION: This paper describes a strategy to identify a comprehensive collection of citations supporting the evidence for the effectiveness of hospital pharmaceutical services in the UK. The large number of references identified demonstrate that hospital pharmacists in the UK make significant contributions to both the research literature and to patient care. However, database searches alone highlighted just 34% of the total references finally included in this study, demonstrating that pharmacy practice research work may be difficult to access by conducting database searches alone. The results from this project provide a resource for the profession and can be utilised as a foundation for future developments in both the delivery and research of hospital pharmacy practice.

Databases, Factual↗

Rapid access to infrared reference spectra of arbitrary organic compounds: scope and limitations of an approach to the simulation of infrared spectra by neural networks

Substance identification by infrared spectroscopy is performed by comparison of the experimental spectrum with a reference spectrum from a printed compilation or a database. If the analyzed compound can not be found in a database the corresponding reference spectrum has to be simulated. In order to achieve this, several reasonable candidates of structures for the compound at hand have to be conceived and for all these, infrared spectra have to be developed. The simulated spectrum that is most similar to the experimental suggests the correct structure. A rapid spectrum prediction method based on neural networks has been developed that supplies reference spectra for any organic compound. The scope and limitations of this method will be discussed on a test set of 16 compounds representing a broad range of organic chemistry.

Journal Article↗

The SWISS-PROT protein sequence database and its supplement TrEMBL in 2000.

SWISS-PROT is a curated protein sequence database which strives to provide a high level of annotation (such as the description of the function of a protein, its domains structure, post-translational modifications, variants, etc.), a minimal level of redundancy and high level of integration with other databases. Recent developments of the database include format and content enhancements, cross-references to additional databases, new documentation files and improvements to TrEMBL, a computer-annotated supplement to SWISS-PROT. TrEMBL consists of entries in SWISS-PROT-like format derived from the translation of all coding sequences (CDSs) in the EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database, except the CDSs already included in SWISS-PROT. We also describe the Human Proteomics Initiative (HPI), a major project to annotate all known human sequences according to the quality standards of SWISS-PROT. SWISS-PROT is available at: http://www.expasy.ch/sprot/ and http://www.ebi.ac.uk/swissprot/

Animals↗

Wheat gliadin: digital imaging and database construction using a 4-band reference system of agarose isoelectric focusing patterns.

An isoelectric focusing method using thin-layer agarose gel has been developed for wheat gliadin. Using flat-bed units with a third electrode, up to 72 samples per gel may be analyzed. Advantages over traditional acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis methodology include: faster run times, nontoxic media, and greater sample capacity. The method is suitable for fingerprinting or purity testing of wheat varieties. Using digital images captured by a flat-bed scanner, a 4-band reference system using isoelectric points was devised. Software enables separated bands to be assigned pI values based upon reference tracks. Precision of assigned isoelectric points is shown to be on the order of 0.02 pH units. Captured images may be stored in a computer database and compared to unknown patterns to enable an identification. Parameters for a match with a stored pattern may be adjusted for pI interval required for a match, and number of best matches.

Databases, Factual↗

The human TBX5 gene mutation database.

Germline mutations of the TBX5 gene were identified as the primary cause in up to 70% of patients with Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS), an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by malformations of the upper limbs and cardiac defects. Furthermore, somatic mutations of the TBX5 gene have been described in diseased heart tissues of patients with congenital heart defects of different cause. The relationship between genotype and phenotype remains unclear and the underlying mechanism of the pathogenic effect is not solved. In this report, we introduce the 'TBX5 Gene Mutation Database,' an online locus specific database containing germline and somatic mutations of the TBX5 gene. The permanently updated data collection includes all reported mutations beginning with the first description of the gene in 1997. With our database we complement the existing resources by: 1) giving a complete review of the so far reported mutation spectrum in TBX5 considering the clinical relevance; 2) linkage of the mutational data to the corresponding gene location and PubMed-Abstracts; and 3) additional links to other related resources like SNP database, sequences and literature references. The usage of our database will help to quickly find informations about genetic variations within the TBX5 gene. Here we describe the database structure, content, and potential applications (http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~genetik/TBX5).

Databases, Genetic↗

Networking consumer health information: bringing the patient into the medical information loop.

The Library of the Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago obtained a grant from the Illinois State Library to implement a statewide demonstration project that would provide consumer health information (CHI) using InfoTrac's Health Reference Center CD-ROM database. The goals of the project were to cooperate with targeted public libraries and clinics in providing CHI at the earliest point of need; to provide access to the database via a dial-up network server and a toll-free telephone number; and to work with targeted sites on database training, core CHI reference sources, and referral procedures. This paper provides background information about the project; describes the major systems and technical issues encountered; and discusses the outcomes, impact, and envisioned enhancements.

CD-ROM↗

An expectation maximization algorithm for training hidden substitution models.

We derive an expectation maximization algorithm for maximum-likelihood training of substitution rate matrices from multiple sequence alignments. The algorithm can be used to train hidden substitution models, where the structural context of a residue is treated as a hidden variable that can evolve over time. We used the algorithm to train hidden substitution matrices on protein alignments in the Pfam database. Measuring the accuracy of multiple alignment algorithms with reference to BAliBASE (a database of structural reference alignments) our substitution matrices consistently outperform the PAM series, with the improvement steadily increasing as up to four hidden site classes are added. We discuss several applications of this algorithm in bioinformatics.

Algorithms↗

Comparison of literature searches on quality and costs for health technology assessment using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases.

Biomedical databases are an important source of information for health technology assessment. However, there is considerable variation in the costs of accessing commercial databases. We sought to measure the quality, amount of overlap, and costs of information retrieved from two of the main database sources--MEDLINE and EMBASE. Librarians at two health technology assessment agencies ran a total of eight literature searches on various medical technologies, using both databases. All search results were independently reviewed by two researchers. The researchers were asked to identify relevant references and to rank each of these according to a level of evidence scale. The results were tabulated to show the number of references identified by each database, the number of relevant references ranked by level of evidence, and the number of these references that were unique to one or the other database. The cost of retrieving references from each source was also calculated. Each database contained relevant references not available in the other. Because of the longer time lag for indexing in MEDLINE, many of the references that originally appeared to be unique to EMBASE were subsequently available in MEDLINE as well. Since our study was conducted, MEDLINE has been made available worldwide, free of charge, via the Internet. Hence, the cost difference between the databases is now even greater. However, notwithstanding the costs, it appears that literature searches that rely on only one or the other database will inevitably miss pertinent information.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

PGDB: a curated and integrated database of genes related to the prostate.

The Prostate Gene Database (PGDB: http://www.ucsf.edu/pgdb) is a curated and integrated database of genes or genomic loci related to the human prostate and prostatic diseases. Currently, PGDB covers genes involved in a number of molecular and genetic events of the prostate including gene amplification, mutation, gross deletion, methylation, polymorphism, linkage and over-expression, as published in the literature. Genes that are specifically expressed in prostate, as evidenced by analysis of data from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), are also included. There are a total of 165 unique entries in the database. Users can either browse or query the PGDB through a web interface. For each gene, in addition to basic gene information and rich cross-references to other databases, inclusive and relevant literature references are provided to support the inclusion of the gene in the database. Detailed expression data calculated from the UniGene and SAGEmap databases are also presented.

Databases, Genetic↗

The Eukaryotic Promoter Database (EPD): recent developments.

The Eukaryotic Promoter Database (EPD) is an annotated non-redundant collection of eukaryotic POL II promoters, for which the transcription start site has been determined experimentally. Access to promoter sequences is provided by pointers to positions in nucleotide sequence entries. The annotation part of an entry includes description of the initiation site mapping data, cross-references to other databases, and bibliographic references. EPD is structured in a way that facilitates dynamic extraction of biologically meaningful promoter subsets for comparative sequence analysis. Recent efforts have focused on exhaustive cross-referencing to the EMBL nucleotide sequence database, and on the improvement of the WWW-based user interfaces and data retrieval mechanisms. EPD can be accessed at http://www.epd.isb-sib.ch

Algorithms↗

Performance of MALDI-TOF MS for human Capnocytophaga identification verified by whole-genome sequencing.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the performance of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for species identification of human Capnocytophaga and to confirm results by whole-genome sequencing. METHODS: Six reference strains, representing human Capnocytophaga species and one taxon, and a total of 126 clinical strains, selected based on their biochemical profiles from a large collection of preliminarily identified Capnocytophaga isolates, were analyzed. RESULTS: Of those, 125 strains (94%) were identified at least at the genus level (log score variation of 1.7-1.999), while 52 strains (39%) were identified at the species level with a cut-off score of &#x2265;2.0. Eight strains (6%) remained unidentified with a log score of <1.69. C. leadbetteri and Capnocytophaga genospecies AHN8471 strains were accurately identified at the genus level. Minor identification errors were observed in three cases: C. leadbetteri (n=1), C. ochracea (n=2), and Capnocytophaga genospecies AHN8471 (n=38). MALDI-TOF MS was unable to distinguish between C. sputigena and Capnocytophaga genospecies AHN8471 at the species level but clustered them together in the Main Spectra Profile (MSP) dendrogram. CONCLUSIONS: MALDI-TOF MS shows promise as a diagnostic tool for identifying human Capnocytophaga species when correct taxonomy and sufficient reference strains are available in the database. Based on the close phenotypic, ribosomal, and genotypic structures, we propose to establish the term "C. sputigena group" encompassing C. sputigena, Capnocytophaga genospecies AHN8471, and other related Capnocytophaga variants. Nevertheless, updating and expanding the MALDI-TOF MS reference database is essential to improve identification accuracy.

Capnocytophaga spp.↗

The Eukaryotic Promoter Database EPD.

The Eukaryotic Promoter Database (EPD) is an annotated non-redundant collection of experimentally characterised eukaryotic POL II promoters. The underlying definition of a promoter is that of a transcription initiation site. All information presented in EPD results from an independent evaluation of primary experimental data shown in the biological literature. Sequences flanking transcription initiation sites are indirectly given by pointers to EMBL sequences. The annotation part of a promoter entry includes description of the promoter-defining evidence, cross-references to other databases, and bibliographic references. Being designed as a resource for comparative sequence analysis, EPD is structured in a way that facilitates dynamic extraction of biologically meaningful promoter subsets. The database is available through the World Wide Web at URL http://cmpteam4.unil.ch

Animals↗

Electronic databases.

Electronic databases corresponding to most of the world's currently published literature and many other types of information are publicly available through online systems. Scientific databases that give references for publications are numerous and widely used; scientific numeric databases that are open to the public are far fewer and less used. Online retrieval systems are becoming easier to use as a result of the introduction of artificial intelligence techniques and user-friendly front ends and gateways. Issues related to electronic databases include public-private sector competition, transborder data flow, copyright, downloading, and the changing roles in database generation and processing.

Bibliographies as Topic↗

RINGdb: an integrated database for G protein-coupled receptors and regulators of G protein signaling.

BACKGROUND: Many marketed therapeutic agents have been developed to modulate the function of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS proteins) are also being examined as potential drug targets. To facilitate clinical and pharmacological research, we have developed a novel integrated biological database called RINGdb to provide comprehensive and organized RGS protein and GPCR information. RESULTS: RINGdb contains information on mutations, tissue distributions, protein-protein interactions, diseases/disorders and other features, which has been automatically collected from the Internet and manually extracted from the literature. In addition, RINGdb offers various user-friendly query functions to answer different questions about RGS proteins and GPCRs such as their possible contribution to disease processes, the putative direct or indirect relationship between RGS proteins and GPCRs. RINGdb also integrates organized database cross-references to allow users direct access to detailed information. The database is now available at http://ringdb.csie.ncu.edu.tw/ringdb/. CONCLUSION: RINGdb is the only integrated database on the Internet to provide comprehensive RGS protein and GPCR information. This knowledge base will be useful for clinical research, drug discovery and GPCR signaling pathway research.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Evaluation of drug interaction document citation in nine on-line bibliographic databases.

OBJECTIVE: To compare nine on-line bibliographic databases to obtain bibliographic references on specific drug interactions. DESIGN: Seven bibliographic databases were selected for their ability to provide information concerning drug interactions: EMBASE, MEDLINE, TOXLINE, BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts (CAS), PHARMLINE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA). Two French on-line bibliographic databases (i.e., PASCAL, BIBLIOGRAPHIF) were also tested to compare them with the other international databases. Twenty drug interactions were selected randomly using the journal Reactions Weekly 1993. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The total number of references, the number of potentially relevant references, the number of case report references, the number of unique references in the total number of references, and the number of unique references between potentially relevant references were analyzed by using the Friedman two-way ANOVA by ranks. For each database, relevance and relative recall were calculated. RESULTS: For the total number of references, EMBASE was significantly more comprehensive then all other databases (p < 0.05). EMBASE had a significantly greater number of potentially relevant references than IPA, PHARMLINE, CAS, and BIBLIOGRAPHIF (p < 0.05). For the total number of case report references, only one significant difference, between EMBASE and BIBLIOGRAPHIF (p < 0.05), was observed. MEDLINE and TOXLINE had the lowest cost per potentially relevant reference. CONCLUSIONS: To obtain bibliographic references on drug interactions, the first step should be to search MEDLINE or TOXLINE; the second step, for completeness, should be to search EMBASE.

Databases, Bibliographic↗

RefDB: a database of uniformly referenced protein chemical shifts.

RefDB is a secondary database of reference-corrected protein chemical shifts derived from the BioMagResBank (BMRB). The database was assembled by using a recently developed program (SHIFTX) to predict protein (1)H, (13)C and (15)N chemical shifts from X-ray or NMR coordinate data of previously assigned proteins. The predicted shifts were then compared with the corresponding observed shifts and a variety of statistical evaluations performed. In this way, potential mis-assignments, typographical errors and chemical referencing errors could be identified and, in many cases, corrected. This approach allows for an unbiased, instrument-independent solution to the problem of retrospectively re-referencing published protein chemical shifts. Results from this study indicate that nearly 25% of BMRB entries with (13)C protein assignments and 27% of BMRB entries with (15)N protein assignments required significant chemical shift reference readjustments. Additionally, nearly 40% of protein entries deposited in the BioMagResBank appear to have at least one assignment error. From this study it evident that protein NMR spectroscopists are increasingly adhering to recommended IUPAC (13)C and (15)N chemical shift referencing conventions, however, approximately 20% of newly deposited protein entries in the BMRB are still being incorrectly referenced. This is cause for some concern. However, the utilization of RefDB and its companion programs may help mitigate this ongoing problem. RefDB is updated weekly and the database, along with its associated software, is freely available at http://redpoll.pharmacy.ualberta.ca and the BMRB website.

Animals↗

Paget disease of bone in Colombia and Latin America.

BACKGROUND: Paget disease of bone has an unknown etiology, having complex pathogenesis leading to increased bone resorption in the first phase and an excess of bone formation with more advanced disease. The disease has been associated to white ancestry in Europe and other countries, being less common in people without European origin. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to describe the Colombian cases of Paget disease and search the published literature for more Latin American cases and their characteristics. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched up to August 2004: MEDLINE, PUBMED, BIREME LILAC, and MEDCARIB, evaluating the entire bibliography regarding reports of Paget disease in Latin America during the last 30 years. Additionally, we searched the medical databases of local reference centers to describe new cases from Colombia. RESULTS: We found 14 cases of Paget disease from Colombia; 12 of them were previously reported elsewhere and 2 additional cases were found in the medical database of a local reference center. We describe the main clinic characteristics, including age, symptoms, type and stage of involved bone (monostotic or polyostotic), and treatment, which generally are similar to cases from Europe or the United States. The literature search showed that a total of 1149 cases of Paget disease have been previously published from Latin America in the last 30 years, more than half of them coming from Argentina and Brazil with predominant white ancestry. CONCLUSIONS: We emphasize the presence of white European origin or ancestry in the great majority of reported cases of Paget disease in Latin America and Colombia. Studies of factors that influence the etiology in cases of non-European ancestry would be of interest.

Aged↗