Content-Based Indexing and Retrieval of Brain Odor Maps

描述(由申请人提供)： 由气味刺激引起的神经信号在哺乳动物嗅球(OB)的空间中被编码。 功能磁图(MRI)气味图是单一的二维平面大脑图像，描述了整个OB肾小球对给定气味刺激的空间活动模式。诸如气味类型或暴露持续时间的MRI气味地图和注释被保存到数据库中，并且可以基于注释文本来检索。然而，随着存放的地图越来越多，地图的活动模式变得越来越复杂，基于地图内容的搜索工具的可用性变得越来越重要。这种工具的缺乏显然阻碍了任何气味地图数据库的充分使用。 这项提议的目的是设计和实施一个数据库系统，该系统带有信息学工具，用于基于内容的索引、存储和检索MRI气味地图。该系统将在现有MRI气味地图数据库的基础上，利用Java和Web技术构建。基于先前的知识和我们最近的研究，拟议的项目将为啮齿动物的MRI气味地图创建一套模板。模板将包括已注册的模块。模板和模块都存储在数据库中。新工具将允许用户执行图像扭曲并将地图与适当的模板对齐。然后，系统将从每个模块中提取像素信息。对于提交存档的气味地图，索引信息将保存到数据库中。拟议的网络界面和工具将允许用户根据解剖内容或使用未知的查询地图搜索地图，这也将受到索引编制过程的影响。还将设计和实施具有包括阈值相关和布尔搜索在内的高级功能的类似工具。例如，给定一个具有特定活动模式的未知查询地图，研究人员将能够检索具有相似模式的所有地图，这些地图包括或排除这些模式。布尔搜索将在分析不同气味类型组合产生的复杂气味图谱方面发挥重要作用。 在此基础上开发的信息学工具将为该领域的实验性磁共振研究提供便利，有助于发现哺乳动物嗅觉系统中嗅觉信号编码的独特性质，并有助于了解气味感知的机制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neural signals invoked by odor stimuli are encoded in space in the mammalian olfactory bulb (OB). Functional magnetic image (MRI) odor maps are single two-dimensional flat brain images that describe the spatial activity patterns in the entire OB glomerular layer in response to a given odor stimulation. The MRI odor maps and annotations, such as odor type or exposure duration, are saved to the database and can be retrieved based on the annotating text. However, the availability of search tools based on the map content becomes increasingly important as more maps are deposited and the activity patterns of the maps become more complex. The lack of such tools is evidently hindering the full usage of any odor map database. The aim of this proposal is to design and implement a database system with informatics tools for the content-based indexing, storage, and retrieve of the MRI odor maps. The system will be built with Java and web technologies and on the foundation of the current MRI odor map database. Based on the previous knowledge and our recent studies, the proposed project will create sets of templates for the rodent MRI odor maps. The templates will include registered modules. Both the templates and modules are stored in the database. The new tools will allow users to perform image warping and align maps to the appropriate template. The system will then extract the pixel information from each module. For odor maps submitted for archiving, the indexed information will be saved to the database. The proposed web interfaces and tools will allow users to search maps based on anatomical content or using an unknown query map which will also be subject to the indexing process. Similar tools with advanced features including threshold-dependent and Boolean search will also be designed and implemented. For instance, given an unknown query map with certain activity patterns, researchers will be able to retrieve all the maps with similar patterns, the maps including or excluding those patterns. The Boolean search will play an important role in analyzing the complex odor maps generated by a combination of different odor types. The informatics tools developed under this proposal will facilitate the experimental MRI research in the field, help to discover the unique nature in olfactory signal encoding in the mammalian olfactory system, and to understand the mechanism of odor perception.