SRI International

About: SRI International is a nonprofit organization based out in Menlo Park, California, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Ionosphere & Laser. The organization has 7222 authors who have published 13102 publications receiving 660724 citations. The organization is also known as: Stanford Research Institute & SRI.

SRI: description of the JV-FASTUS system used for MUC-5

Abstract: SRI International developed an information extraction system called FASTUS, a permuted acronym standing for "Finite State Automata-based Text Understanding System. The choice of acronym is some-what misleading, however, because FASTUS is a system for information extraction, not text understanding. The former problem is much simpler and more tractable, characterized by a relatively straightforward specification of information to be extracted from the text, only a fraction of which is relevant to the extraction task, and with the author's underlying goals and nuances of meaning of little interest. In contrast, a text understanding task is to recover all of the information in a text, including that which is only implicit in what is actually written. All the richness of natural language becomes fair game, including metaphor, metonymy, discourse structure, and the recognition of the author's underlying intentions, and the full interplay between language and world knowledge becomes central to the task.

Evaluation of OMI operational standard NO 2 column retrievals using in situ and surface-based NO 2 observations

Abstract: . We assess the standard operational nitrogen dioxide (NO2) data product (OMNO2, version 2.1) retrieved from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard NASA's Aura satellite using a combination of aircraft and surface in~situ measurements as well as ground-based column measurements at several locations and a bottom-up NOx emission inventory over the continental US. Despite considerable sampling differences, NO2 vertical column densities from OMI are modestly correlated (r = 0.3–0.8) with in situ measurements of tropospheric NO2 from aircraft, ground-based observations of NO2 columns from MAX-DOAS and Pandora instruments, in situ surface NO2 measurements from photolytic converter instruments, and a bottom-up NOx emission inventory. Overall, OMI retrievals tend to be lower in urban regions and higher in remote areas, but generally agree with other measurements to within ± 20%. No consistent seasonal bias is evident. Contrasting results between different data sets reveal complexities behind NO2 validation. Since validation data sets are scarce and are limited in space and time, validation of the global product is still limited in scope by spatial and temporal coverage and retrieval conditions. Monthly mean vertical NO2 profile shapes from the Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) chemistry-transport model (CTM) used in the OMI retrievals are highly consistent with in situ aircraft measurements, but these measured profiles exhibit considerable day-to-day variation, affecting the retrieved daily NO2 columns by up to 40%. This assessment of OMI tropospheric NO2 columns, together with the comparison of OMI-retrieved and model-simulated NO2 columns, could offer diagnostic evaluation of the model.

Testing for Faults in Wiring Networks

Abstract: An algorithm is derived for multiprobe testing for shorts, opens, and wiring errors in any multiterminal wiring network, such as a printed circuit board, wiring harness, multiconductor cable, or backplane wiring board. For behavioral testing the minimum number of tests required, always achievable, is equal to p - 1 + [log 2 q], where p is the number of terminals in the largest interconnected cluster in the network, and q is the total number of clusters, including isolated terminals. For structural testing the number of tests required is less, and can be as small as [log 2 q] + 1 depending upon the assumptions made regarding the types of faults that can occur.

Optimization of natural-gas pipeline systems via dynamic programming

Abstract: The complexity and expense of operating natural-gas pipeline systems have made optimum operation and planning of increased interest to the natural-gas pipeline industries. Since the operations of natural-gas pipeline sytems are characterized by inherent nonlinearities and numerous constraints, dynamic programming provides an extremely powerful method for optimizing such systems. This paper summarizes the application of dynamic programming techniques to solve optimization problems that occur in the short-term (transient) terminal distribution and long-term (steady-state) transmission of natural gas.

Event-recording devices with identification codes

Abstract: A recording device allows wireless interrogation to determine its identity and its state. The state indicates whether one or more physical or chemical events have taken place. In effect, the one or more physical or chemical events are recorded by the device. The identity of the device allows it to be distinguished from a number of similar devices. The recording device may be used in an array of devices that allows wireless probing by an interrogation unit. When probed, each device tells the interrogator who it is and what state it is in. The devices allow multiple use and the interrogator may use a logical reset to determine the state of each device. The interrogator can thus easily identify particular items in an array that have reached a particular condition. The device may record the status of each device in a database to maintain a history for each.