Proximity Operators
Proximity operators are used to control the relative proximity of search terms in answers. They are used to make a search more precise. The assumption is that the closer the terms are together, the more directly related they are to each other.
| Use... |
To require that the answer contains... |
Example |
| (W) |
search terms adjacent to each other, in the order typed
(The (W) operator is implied if nothing is typed between terms) |
=> S SKIN (W) SUBSTITUTE#
OR
=> S SKIN SUBSTITUTE# |
| (nW) |
search terms have n (n=1,2,3...) or fewer words intervening between them, in the order typed |
=> S SKIN (2W) SUBSTITUTE# |
| (A) |
search terms are adjacent to each other in either order |
=> S SKIN (A) SUBSTITUTE# |
| (nA) |
search terms have n or fewer words intervening between them and terms are in either order |
=> S SKIN (5A) SUBSTITUTE# |
- To illustrate how proximity operators may be used to make a search more precise, consider the search...
- Locate records on the preparation and manufacture of skin substitutes in the CAplus file.
-
- Assume that...
- After completing the steps of the Search Strategy that can be accomplished offline (Steps 1-3), you have formulated the following search query: => S SKIN AND SUBSTITUTE# AND (PREPARATION# OR MANUFACTURE). Logon to STN and run an Exploratory Search using the logic operators, AND and OR.
=> FILE CAPLUS
=> S SKIN AND SUBSTITUTE# AND (PREPARATION# OR MANUFACTURE)
104507 SKIN
311221 SUBSTITUTE#
943004 PREPARATION#
209945 MANUFACTURE
L1 509 SKIN AND SUBSTITUTE# AND (PREPARATION# OR MANUFACTURE)
Evaluate answers at no cost. Most files on STN use D TRIAL for a free display format. Some files use an alternate format D SCAN. If you try D TRIAL and it does not work then try D SCAN.
=> D SCAN
L1 430 ANSWERS CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1996 ACS
IC ICM A61K037-12
ICS A61K009-08; A61K033-00
CC 16-2 (Fermentation and Bioindustrial Chemistry)
TI Enzymic hydrolysis of gelatins for preparation of blood plasma
substitutes
ST blood plasma substitute proteolysis gelatin
IT Gelatins, biological studies
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(digestion of, with immobilized protease, for manuf. of blood
plasma substitute)
IT Bone, composition
(gelatin extn. from, digestion with immobilized protease of)
IT Corncob
(lignocellulose of, protease immobilized on, gelatin digestion with)
IT Cattle
Sheep
Swine
(skin of, gelatin extn. from, digestion with immobilized protease of)
IT Blood plasma
(substitutes, manuf. of, gelatin digestion with immobilized protease for)
IT Waste solids
(lignocellulosic, protease immobilized on, gelatin digestion with, blood
plasma substitute manuf. in relation to)
IT 9001-92-7, Protease
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(alk., immobilized, gelatin digestion with, blood plasma substitute manuf.
in relation to)
IT 9080-56-2
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(immobilized, gelatin digestion with, blood plasma substitute manuf. in
relation to)
IT 9014-01-1
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(immobilized, gelatin digestion with, blood plasma substitute manuf. in
relation to.)
When using D SCAN the answer that is displayed is selected at random from the answer set by the system.
The above answer is not relevant. Although the terms SKIN and SUBSTITUTE# appear in the record, the answer has nothing to do with "skin substitutes".
After displaying an answer using D SCAN, STN will ask how many more answers you wish to scan. Type a number.
HOW MANY MORE ANSWERS DO YOU WISH TO SCAN? (1): 2
L1 430 ANSWERS CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1996 ACS
IC ICM A61L027-00
CC 63-7 (Pharmaceuticals)
TI Manufacture of skin substitute with
poly(vinyl alcohol) and hyaluronic acid
ST hyaluronate vinyl alc polymer skin
IT Skin
(artificial, manuf. of, with hyaluronic acid-poly(vinyl alc.)
mixt.)
IT 9004-61-9, Hyaluronic acid
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(artificial skin manuf. with PVA and)
IT 9002-89-5
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(artificial skin manuf. with hyaluronic acid and)
This answer is very relevant. Note that the words SKIN and ARTIFICIAL (an alternate term for SUBSTITUTE) are close together.
L1 430 ANSWERS CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
IC ICM A61K047-22
ICS A61K009-00CC 63-6 (Pharmaceuticals)
TI Transdermal preparations containing N-
substituted morpholines
ST transdermal piroxicam oleylmorpholine bioavailability; morpholine
oleyl piroxicam transdermal bioavailability
IT Inflammation inhibitors
(nonsteroidal, transdermal prepns. contg. morpholine derivs. and,
for bioavailability enhancement)
IT Drug bioavailability
(of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, from transdermal prepns.)
IT Pharmaceutical dosage forms
(transdermal, of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, morpholine
derivs. in, as skin penetration enhancers)
IT 128881-15-2P 128881-16-3P 128910-36-1P
RL: PREP (Preparation)
(prepn. of, as skin penetration enhancer for
anti-inflammatory transdermal compn.)
IT 84696-69-5P
RL: PREP (Preparation)
(prepn. of, as skin penetration enhancer for
anti-inflammatory transdermal prepn.)
IT 22071-15-4, Ketoprofen 36322-90-4, Piroxicam
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(transdermal prepns. contg. morpholine derivs. and, with enhanced
bioavailability)
The previous answer is also not relevant, and again, the terms SKIN and SUBSTITUTE# are far apart.
HOW MANY MORE ANSWERS DO YOU WISH TO SCAN? (1): END
To terminate D SCAN before all answers are scanned type END, NONE, or 0 (zero) at the colon prompt.
Refine the search:
- Combine terms with the (2A) operator to retrieve phrases such as: "dermal substitutes", "artificial skin", and "substitutes for human skin"
- Add alternate search terms identified in D SCAN
- Include DERMAL and ARTIFICIAL. The abbreviation MANUF. may be included by searching on MANUF?
=> S (SKIN OR DERMAL) (2A) (SUBSTITUTE# OR ARTIFICIAL)
AND (PREPN# OR PREPARATION# OR MANUF?)
104507 SKIN
6910 DERMAL
311221 SUBSTITUTE#
53170 ARTIFICIAL
484 (SKIN OR DERMAL) (2A) (SUBSTITUTE# OR ARTIFICIAL)
1695261 PREPN#
943004 PREPARATION#
732272 MANUF?
L2 202 (SKIN OR DERMAL) (2A) (SUBSTITUTE# OR ARTIFICIAL) AND
(PREPN# OR PREPARATION# OR MANUF?)
=> D SCAN
L2 202 ANSWERS CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
IC ICM A61L027-00
CC 63-7 (Pharmaceuticals)
Section cross-reference(s): 9
TI Modification of eggshell membrane for
preparation of skin substitute
ST eggshell membrane skin substitute
IT Membrane, biological
(eggshell, skin substitute manuf. from)
IT Skin
(artificial, prepn. of, from
eggshell-membrane)
IT Egg, poultry
(shell, membrane, skin substutute manuf. from)
HOW MANY MORE ANSWERS DO YOU WISH TO SCAN? (1): 1
L2 202 ANSWERS CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
IC ICM A61L027-00
ICS A61L015-16
CC 63-7 (Pharmaceuticals)
TI Manufacture of artificial skin
ST artificial skin collagen silicone layer
IT Collagens, biological studies
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(artificial skin manuf. with)
IT Siloxanes and Silicones, biological studies
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(artificial skin manuf. with
collagens and)
IT Skin
(artificial, manuf. of, collagens and
silicones for)
IT Collagens, biological studies
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(atelo-, artificial skin manuf.
with)
HOW MANY MORE ANSWERS DO YOU WISH TO SCAN? (1): 1
L2 202 ANSWERS CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
CC 63-7 (Pharmaceuticals)
TI Dermal collagen implants
ST skin collagen implant
IT Fibroblast
(growth of, collagen skin implant prepn. effect on)
IT Collagens, biological studies
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(skin implants)
IT Skin
(artificial, collagen implants)
IT Prosthetic materials and Prosthetics
(implants, collagen skin)
IT 9002-07-7
RL: BIOL (Biological study)
(skin treatment with, in prepn. of collagen implant)
HOW MANY MORE ANSWERS DO YOU WISH TO SCAN? (1): END
Although not illustrated here, the final step would be to display answers in more detail.
Arranging Answers in Relevance Order
The FOCUS command may be used to sort the answers in an answer set from the most relevant to the least relevant, instead of from newest to oldest.
To illustrate the power of FOCUS, look at answers 1-5 of answer set L2 before FOCUS:
=> D L2 1-5 TI
L2 ANSWER 1 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Use of polymeric materials for simulating skin, particularly in a
diffusion cell
L2 ANSWER 2 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Preparation of substituted aryl- or heteroarylamides
having retinoid-like biological activity
L2 ANSWER 3 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Polymer blends containing bio absorbable polyoxaesters for use in
the medical field
L2 ANSWER 4 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Biologically absorbable aliphatic polyether-polyesters and their
blends for surgical devices
L2 ANSWER 5 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Skin-like sheets with silvery nubuck-rugged surface and their
manufacture
While each of these answers meets the search criteria, some of them are not relevant.
Now look at the top 5 answers in the answer set after FOCUS:
=> FOCUS L2
PROCESSING COMPLETED FOR L2
L3 202 FOCUS L2 1-
=> D TI 1-5
L3 ANSWER 1 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Artificial skin and its preparation
L3 ANSWER 2 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Manufacture of artificial skin
L3 ANSWER 3 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Artificial skin manufacture from polyesters
L3 ANSWER 4 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Preparation of high-performance artificial
skin from squid chitin and salmon collagen
L3 ANSWER 5 OF 202 CAPLUS COPYRIGHT 1997 ACS
TI Manufacture of artificial skin
FOCUS does not eliminate any answers, it just brings the most relevant ones to the beginning of the answer set.
Relevance is algorithmically determined using various factors such as:
- occurrence of hit terms, weighted by field
- the proximity of search terms to each other
- the location of search terms within a field
FOCUS is available in most bibliographic and full-text files on STN where it is best used with broad, multi-word subject searches.
Online Practice 2
Updated 3/31/2009 8:15:54 AM
