Identifying Co-associating Bioattributes

1 . A bioinformatics method for identifying combinations of pangenetic and non-pangenetic attributes that co-associate with a query attribute, comprising:

a) receiving a query attribute;

b) accessing a set containing attribute combinations and frequencies of occurrence of the attribute combinations for a set of attribute profiles associated with a group of query-attribute-positive individuals and for a set of attribute profiles associated with a group of query-attribute-negative individuals, wherein each of the attribute combinations contains at least one pangenetic attribute and at least one non-pangenetic attribute;

c) identifying, based on the frequencies of occurrence, attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute; and

d) transmitting at least one of the identified attribute combinations as output to indicate combinations of pangenetic and non-pangenetic attributes that co-associate with the query attribute.

2 . The bioinformatics method of claim 1 , wherein the output is transmitted to at least one destination selected from the group consisting of a user, a database, a dataset, a computer readable memory, a computer readable medium, a computer processor, a computer network, a printout device, a visual display, and a wireless receiver.

3 . The bioinformatics method of claim 1 , wherein identifying attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute in step (c) further comprises identifying each of the attribute combinations having a higher frequency of occurrence for the set of attribute profiles associated with the group of query-attribute-positive individuals than for the set of attribute profiles associated with the group of query-attribute-negative individuals.

4 . The bioinformatics method of claim 1 , wherein the identified attribute combinations transmitted as output lack one or more user specified attributes.

5 . The bioinformatics method of claim 1 , wherein the query attribute is a combination of two or more attributes.

6 . The bioinformatics method of claim 1 , wherein identifying attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute in step (c) further comprises i) computing, based on the frequencies of occurrence, corresponding statistical results for the attribute combinations to indicate the strength of association of each of the attribute combinations with the query attribute, and ii) identifying attribute combinations having corresponding statistical results that meet at least one predetermined statistical threshold as attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute.

7 . The bioinformatics method of claim 6 , wherein transmitting at least one of the identified attribute combinations as output in step (d) further comprises transmitting a tabulation of the identified attribute combinations and the corresponding statistical results to indicate the identified attribute combinations that are most likely to co-associate with the query attribute.

8 . The bioinformatics method of claim 6 , wherein transmitting at least one of the identified attribute combinations as output in step (d) further comprises transmitting a rank-ordered tabulation of one or more of the identified attribute combinations to indicate the identified attribute combinations that are most likely to co-associate with the query attribute, wherein the rank of each of the identified attribute combinations in the tabulation is based on the attribute content of each of the identified attribute combinations and the strength of association of each of the identified attribute combinations with the query attribute.

9 . The bioinformatics method of claim 8 , wherein the identified attribute combinations transmitted as output are selected for transmission as output based on a predetermined threshold applied to rank.

10 . The bioinformatics method of claim 1 , further comprising:

e) associating the output with an individual and storing the association.

11 . The bioinformatics method of claim 1 , wherein each of the attribute combinations contains at least one pangenetic attribute, at least one physical attribute, at least one behavioral attribute, and at least one situational attribute.

12 . A program storage device readable by a machine and containing a set of instructions which, when read by the machine, causes execution of a bioinformatics method for identifying combinations of pangenetic and non-pangenetic attributes that co-associate with a query attribute, comprising:

a) receiving a query attribute;

b) accessing a set containing attribute combinations and frequencies of occurrence of the attribute combinations for a set of attribute profiles associated with a group of query-attribute-positive individuals and for a set of attribute profiles associated with a group of query-attribute-negative individuals, wherein each of the attribute combinations contains at least one pangenetic attribute and at least one non-pangenetic attribute;

c) identifying, based on the frequencies of occurrence, attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute; and

d) transmitting at least one of the identified attribute combinations as output to indicate combinations of pangenetic and non-pangenetic attributes that co-associate with the query attribute.

13 . The program storage device of claim 12 , wherein identifying attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute in step (c) further comprises identifying each of the attribute combinations having a higher frequency of occurrence for the set of attribute profiles associated with the group of query-attribute-positive individuals than for the set of attribute profiles associated with the group of query-attribute-negative individuals.

14 . The program storage device of claim 12 , wherein identifying attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute in step (c) further comprises i) computing, based on the frequencies of occurrence, corresponding statistical results for the attribute combinations to indicate the strength of association of each of the attribute combinations with the query attribute, and ii) identifying attribute combinations having corresponding statistical results that meet at least one predetermined statistical threshold as attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute.

15 . A bioinformatics database system for identifying combinations of pangenetic and non-pangenetic attributes that co-associate with a query attribute, comprising:

a) a memory containing:

i) a first data structure containing attribute combinations and frequencies of occurrence of the attribute combinations for a set of attribute profiles associated with a group of query-attribute-positive individuals and for a set of attribute profiles associated with a group of query-attribute-negative individuals, wherein each of the attribute combinations contains at least one pangenetic attribute and at least one non-pangenetic attribute;

b) a processor for:

i) receiving the query attribute;

ii) accessing the first data structure;

iii) identifying, based on the frequencies of occurrence, attribute combinations contained in the first data structure that co-associate with the query attribute; and

iv) transmitting at least one of the identified attribute combinations as output to indicate combinations of pangenetic and non-pangenetic attributes that co-associate with the query attribute.

16 . The bioinformatics database system of claim 15 , wherein identifying attribute combinations contained in the first data structure that co-associate with the query attribute further comprises identifying each of the attribute combinations having a higher frequency of occurrence for the set of attribute profiles associated with the group of query-attribute-positive individuals than for the set of attribute profiles associated with the group of query-attribute-negative individuals.

17 . The bioinformatics database system of claim 15 , wherein identifying attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute further comprises computing, based on the frequencies of occurrence, corresponding statistical results for the attribute combinations to indicate the strength of association of each of the attribute combinations with the query attribute, and identifying attribute combinations having corresponding statistical results that meet at least one predetermined statistical threshold as attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute.

18 . A bioinformatics computer-based system for identifying combinations of pangenetic and non-pangenetic attributes that co-associate with a query attribute, comprising:

a) a first data communications subsystem for receiving a query attribute;

b) a data accessing subsystem for accessing a set containing attribute combinations and frequencies of occurrence of the attribute combinations for a set of attribute profiles associated with a group of query-attribute-positive individuals and for a set of attribute profiles associated with a group of query-attribute-negative individuals, wherein each of the attribute combinations contains at least one pangenetic attribute and at least one non-pangenetic attribute;

c) a data processing subsystem for identifying, based on the frequencies of occurrence, attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute; and

d) a second data communications subsystem for transmitting at least one of the identified attribute combinations as output to indicate combinations of pangenetic and non-pangenetic attributes that co-associate with the query attribute.

19 . The bioinformatics computer-based system of claim 18 , wherein identifying attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute further comprises identifying each of the attribute combinations having a higher frequency of occurrence for the set of attribute profiles associated with the group of query-attribute-positive individuals than for the set of attribute profiles associated with the group of query-attribute-negative individuals.

20 . The bioinformatics computer-based system of claim 18 , wherein identifying attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute further comprises i) computing, based on the frequencies of occurrence, corresponding statistical results for the attribute combinations to indicate the strength of association of each of the attribute combinations with the query attribute, and ii) identifying attribute combinations having corresponding statistical results that meet at least one predetermined statistical threshold as attribute combinations that co-associate with the query attribute.