BODB
From USCBPWiki
Advances in neuroscientific research have led to a flood of information that can only be structured and navigated with the aid of databases and the technology of the World Wide Web. As one contribution to channeling this flood we are developing BODB, in which the aim is to facilitate the interchange between those developing new brain models and new experiments. The current ideas are that the system (1) houses capsules of neuroscientific literature information that will facilitate comparison and integration of original articles; (2) provides a standard form and its repository for entering BOPs, Brain Operating Principles – the gist of the brain mechanisms that abstract away from their heterogeneities, as a way to organize experiments, models and technological spin-off of brain mechanisms; (3) provides a standard form and its repository for entering Model summaries; (4) supplies a sharing point for the data in (1,2,3) among users to enhance the knowledge development; (5) provides a repository of experimental data with a standard structure, and the experimental-data and cross-experiment data analysis tools (currently our focus is on brain imaging data); and (6) provides a means to connect the related documents together and a practical entry-searching tool to enhance the accessibility of information.
Contents |
Introduction
We describe the basic features of an online integrated environment for neuroscientists, the Brain Operation DataBase (BODB – pronounced “Beau DB”; http://neuroinformatics.usc.edu/BODB)
Conceptual Overview
Advances in neuroscientific research have led to a flood of information that can only be structured and navigated with the aid of databases and the technology of the World Wide Web. As one contribution to channeling this flood,1 we are developing BODB to facilitate the interchange between those developing new brain models and those developing new experiments. The current ideas are that the system
- houses capsules of neuroscientific literature information that will facilitate comparison and integration of original articles;
- provides a standard form and repository for entering BOPs;
- provides a standard form and repository for entering Model summaries;
- supplies a sharing point for the data in (1,2,3) among users to enhance knowledge development;
- provides a repository of experimental data with a standard structure, and the experimental-data and cross-experiment data analysis tools (currently our focus is on brain imaging data); and
- provides a means to connect related documents together with practical search tools to enhance the accessibility of information.
These features are intended for use by both brain modelers and brain experimenters. The experimental data and analysis tools will be used by the brain modeler in extracting knowledge and developing new models, and by the experimenter in designing further experimental protocols. Furthermore, the BOP and Model entries will supply knowledge for the modeler to construct new models, and provide the experimenter suggestions to contrive new experiments. Consequently, the implementation and integration of these features would enhance a theory-experiment cycle (Arbib, 2001).
User Registration and Login
Once registering, users can login to the site from the main page.
Structure of the BODB Site
A description of the layout of the BODB website and an overview of its functionality.
Insert
The insert page provides links for adding new Literature, Brain Operating Principle (BOP), Model, and Summary of Experimental Data (SED) entries.
Literature
Literature (Journal Article, Book, Chapter, Conference, Thesis, and Unpublished) Information
Brain Operating Principles (BOPs)
Brain Operating Principle (e.g. Winner-Take-All)
Models
Structured description of a model with links to related entities. (e.g. Didday Model based on the Winner-Take-All Principle)
Summaries of Experimental Data (SEDs)
A summary of experimental data (e.g. brain imaging).
