mesh
require(GCModeller);
#' The National Center For Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
imports "mesh" from "kb";
The National Center For Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
system Is a comprehensive controlled vocabulary used For the indexing And cataloging Of
scientific literature In the field Of biomedicine. Developed by the National Library Of
Medicine (NLM), MeSH serves As a thesaurus that provides a consistent way To organize And
retrieve information from the vast biomedical literature.
Here 's an introduction to the NCBI MeSH system:
1. Purpose: The primary purpose Of MeSH Is To enable the efficient retrieval Of information from
the PubMed database And other NLM databases. It helps researchers, healthcare professionals, And
the general Public find relevant articles And resources.
2. Structure: MeSH Is structured hierarchically, with a tree-Like organization. It consists of
Descriptors (main headings), Qualifiers (subheadings), And Entry Terms (synonyms Or related terms).
Descriptors are organized into 16 main categories, known as Trees.
3. Descriptors: Descriptors are the main indexing terms used To describe the subject Of an
article. Each Descriptor Is assigned a unique MeSH ID And can have multiple Entry Terms associated
With it.
4. Trees: The 16 main Trees in MeSH are:
- Anatomy
- Organisms
- Diseases
- Chemicals And Drugs
- Analytical, Diagnostic And Therapeutic Techniques And Equipment
- Psychiatry And Psychology
- Phenomena And Processes
- Disciplines And Occupations
- Anthropology, Education, Sociology, And Social Phenomena
- Technology, Industry, And Agriculture
- Humanities
- Information Science
- Named Groups
- Health Care
- Publication Characteristics
- Geographicals
5. Qualifiers: These are used To describe the specific aspects Of a Descriptor. For example, "Drug
Therapy" might be a Qualifier For the Descriptor "Hypertension."
6. Entry Terms: These are synonyms Or closely related terms To the Descriptors. They help ensure that
users can find relevant information even If they use different terminology.
7. Updates: MeSH Is updated annually To reflect the evolving nature Of biomedical research. New
Descriptors, Qualifiers, And Entry Terms are added, while outdated terms are removed Or revised.
8. Search And Navigation: Users can search For MeSH terms directly In the MeSH Browser Or use them
To refine searches In PubMed. The hierarchical Structure Of MeSH allows users To navigate from broad
To more specific topics.
9. Integration with PubMed: MeSH terms are used To index articles In PubMed. When users search For a
specific topic, they can use MeSH terms To ensure they retrieve the most relevant And comprehensive
results.