Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 4-5. Elements of the Entrez Limits Web Browser Interface. Limits
available are a function of the database selected. The limits shown here
apply to the Nucleotide database.
For example, to perform a search in the Nucleotide database for mitochondria carriers that excludes
working drafts of nucleotide sequences, the researcher first selects the Nucleotide database from the
Search pull-down menu, then types "mitochondria carrier" in the query box, and then select Limits.
From the Limits panel, the researcher puts a check next to the "exclude working drafts" check box,
and then selects the "Go" button. The particular limits available are a function of the database used.
For example, when the Protein database is selected, exclusion check boxes are limited to "exclude
patents."
A search can be further refined through the use of indexes, which are alphabetical lists of terms from
searchable database fields. The indexes available through Entrez are a function of the particular
database selected. Indexes can be specified by the usual Web browser tools—by selecting terms from
a pull-down menu, by typing a term into the query box, and by browsing through a scrolling list of
terms.
Search histories, which are maintained by the Entrez system, can be used to review, revise, or
combine results of the most recent 100 searches. Search histories, which are database-specific, are
maintained as a numeric list. That is, search history sets can be combined to increase or decrease
the specificity of searches within a given database. For example, the common elements of searches
#45 and #56 based on the Nucleotide database can be identified by entering "#45 AND #56" in the
Search field. Histories are automatically deleted by the system after one hour of inactivity.
Results
The results of an Entrez search can be displayed in a variety of formats (including FASTA), or they
can be saved to a temporary clipboard area, printed directly from the browser, or saved to disk. Links
