ONS: an ontology for a standardized description of interventions and observational studies in nutrition

• DOI: 10.1186/s12263-018-0601-y
• Publication Date: 2018-04-30T06:53:51Z
• Authors: Francesco Vitali; Rosario Lombardo; Damariz Rivero; Fulvio Mattivi; Pietro Franceschi; Alessandra Bordoni; Alessia Trimigno; Francesco Capozzi; Giovanni Felici; Francesco Taglino; Franco Miglietta; Nathalie De Cock; Carl Lachat; Bernard De Baets; Guy De Tré; Mariona Pinart; Katharina Nimptsch; Tobias Pischon; Jildau Bouwman; Duccio Cavalieri
• Keywords: Nutrigenomics; Open Biomedical Ontologies

The multidisciplinary nature of nutrition research is one its main strengths. At the same time, however, it presents a major obstacle to integrate data analysis, especially for terminological and semantic interpretations that specific fields or communities are used to. To date, proper ontology structure formalize concepts description nutritional studies still lacking. We have developed Ontology Nutritional Studies (ONS) by harmonizing selected pre-existing de facto ontologies with novel health terminology classifications. ONS result scholarly consensus 51 centers in nine European countries. classes relations commonly encountered while conducting, storing, harmonizing, integrating, describing, searching studies. facilitates specification complex as demonstrated two application scenarios. first systematic effort provide solid extensible formal framework Integration new information can be easily achieved addition extra modules (i.e., nutrigenomics, metabolomics, nutrikinetics, quality appraisal). provides unified standardized resource researchers who might not necessarily familiar standardization concepts.