GRAPHICAL AD HOC QUERY INTERFACE FOR GENBANK

我们建议为基因库开发一个图形化的临时查询界面。 一旦成功，基因组信息学家将能够使用该工具， 以任何方式表达对基因库的质疑。 我们 通过扩展我们目前的工具来开发这个界面， 能够互连多个关系基因组数据库， 允许制定分布式查询。 我们建议的核心 扩展是在 GenBank数据以ASN.1格式存储。 拟议的图形化基因库查询界面将包括一些 的显著特征，包括模式抽象，模式语义 解释，模式成分发现和连接路径发现。 模式抽象旨在解决ASN的复杂性。1 通过为用户提供隐藏 ASN.1模式的中间分支和一种折叠复杂 将模式的子分支转换为模式图中的一个简单节点。 模式语义解释旨在为用户提供语义 GenBank ASN.1所选子组分/分支的含义（英文） schema. 图式成分发现的目的是帮助用户 识别与计划查询相关的ASN.1模式的部分。 Jon Path Discovery旨在从语义上发现替代方案 链接多个子模式图以形成查询的有意义的方式。 建议的查询接口可能是一个重要的工具， 计算生物学家不仅需要自由访问 必要的核苷酸序列数据库，而且还需要配合， 公共和私人相关基因组数据库。的 接口将在Java applet中开发，并可下载 通过互联网

We propose to develop a graphical ad hoc query interface for GenBank. Once successful, genome informaticists would be able to use the tool to express queries against GenBank in any manner they wish. We would develop this interface by extending our current tool, which is presently capable of interlinking multiple relational genome databases by permitting formulation of distributed queries. Central to our proposed extension is the development of a limited SQL-like interface on top of GenBank data stored in ASN.1 format. The proposed graphical GenBank query interface would include a number of salient features, including Schema Abstraction, Schema Semantics Explanation, Schema Constituent Finding, and Join Path Discovery. Schema Abstraction aims at tackling the complexity of the ASN.1 specifications by providing the user with both a means of hiding intermediate branches of ASN.1 schema and a means of collapsing complex subbranches of the schema into a simple node within the schema diagram. Schema Semantics Explanation aims at providing users with the semantic meanings (in English) of chosen subcomponents/branches of GenBank ASN.1 schema. Schema Constituent Finding aims at assisting user in identifying the portion of an ASN.1 schema relevant to a planned query. Jon Path Discovery aims at discovering alternative, semantically meaningful ways of linking multiple subschema diagrams to form a query. The proposed query interface could be an essential tool for computational biologists who not only need to freely access the essential nucleotide sequence database, but also need to tie that database to both public and private related genome databases. The interface would be developed in Java applet and would be downloable through the Internet.