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Since the advent of mobile robots, obstacle detection has been a topic of great interest. It has also been a subject of study in neuroscience, where flying insects and bats could be considered two of the most interesting cases in terms of vision-based and sound-based mechanisms for obstacle detection, respectively. Currently, many studies focus on vision-based obstacle detection, but not many can be found regarding sound-based obstacle detection. This work focuses on the latter approach, which also makes use of a Spiking Neural Network to exploit the advantages of these architectures and achieve an approach closer to biology. The complete system was tested through a series of experiments that confirm the validity of the spiking architecture for obstacle detection. It is empirically demonstrated that, when the distance between the robot and the obstacle decreases, the output firing rate of the system increases in response as expected, and vice versa. Therefore, there is a direct relation between the two. Furthermore, there is a distance threshold between detectable and undetectable objects which is also empirically measured in this work. An in-depth study on how this system works at low level based on the Inter-Spike Interval concept was performed, which may be useful in the future development of applications based on spiking filters., Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures

The AC optimal power flow (AC-OPF) problem is essential for power system operations, but its non-convex nature makes it challenging to solve. A widely used simplification is the linearized DC optimal power flow (DC-OPF) problem, which can be solved to global optimality, but whose optimal solution is always infeasible in the original AC-OPF problem. Recently, neural networks (NN) have been introduced for solving the AC-OPF problem at significantly faster computation times. However, these methods necessitate extensive datasets, are difficult to train, and are often viewed as black boxes, leading to resistance from operators who prefer more transparent and interpretable solutions. In this paper, we introduce a novel learning-based approach that merges simplicity and interpretability, providing a bridge between traditional approximation methods and black-box learning techniques. Our approach not only provides transparency for operators but also achieves competitive accuracy. Numerical results across various power networks demonstrate that our method provides accuracy comparable to, and often surpassing, that of neural networks, particularly when training datasets are limited.

TOI-6255~b (GJ 4256) is an Earth-sized planet (1.079$\pm0.065$ $R_\oplus$) with an orbital period of only 5.7 hours. With the newly commissioned Keck Planet Finder (KPF) and CARMENES spectrographs, we determined the planet's mass to be 1.44$\pm$0.14 $M_{\oplus}$. The planet is just outside the Roche limit, with $P_{\rm orb}/P_{\rm Roche}$ = 1.13 $\pm0.10$. The strong tidal force likely deforms the planet into a triaxial ellipsoid with a long axis that is $\sim$10\% longer than the short axis. Assuming a reduced stellar tidal quality factor $Q_\star^\prime \approx10^7$, we predict that tidal orbital decay will cause TOI-6255 to reach the Roche limit in roughly 400 Myr. Such tidal disruptions may produce the possible signatures of planet engulfment that have been on stars with anomalously high refractory elemental abundances compared to its conatal binary companion. TOI-6255 b is also a favorable target for searching for star-planet magnetic interactions, which might cause interior melting and hasten orbital decay. TOI-6255 b is a top target (Emission Spectroscopy Metric of about 24) for phase curve observations with the James Webb Space Telescope., Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables, accepted to AAS Journals. The first RV mass measurement from the Keck Planet Finder

We study decision problems under uncertainty, where the decision-maker has access to $K$ data sources that carry {\em biased} information about the underlying risk factors. The biases are measured by the mismatch between the risk factor distribution and the $K$ data-generating distributions with respect to an optimal transport (OT) distance. In this situation the decision-maker can exploit the information contained in the biased samples by solving a distributionally robust optimization (DRO) problem, where the ambiguity set is defined as the intersection of $K$ OT neighborhoods, each of which is centered at the empirical distribution on the samples generated by a biased data source. We show that if the decision-maker has a prior belief about the biases, then the out-of-sample performance of the DRO solution can improve with $K$ -- irrespective of the magnitude of the biases. We also show that, under standard convexity assumptions, the proposed DRO problem is computationally tractable if either $K$ or the dimension of the risk factors is kept constant.

PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is ESA's M3 mission designed to detect and characterise extrasolar planets and perform asteroseismic monitoring of a large number of stars. PLATO will detect small planets (down to <2 R_(Earth)) around bright stars (<11 mag), including terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. With the complement of radial velocity observations from the ground, planets will be characterised for their radius, mass, and age with high accuracy (5 %, 10 %, 10 % for an Earth-Sun combination respectively). PLATO will provide us with a large-scale catalogue of well-characterised small planets up to intermediate orbital periods, relevant for a meaningful comparison to planet formation theories and to better understand planet evolution. It will make possible comparative exoplanetology to place our Solar System planets in a broader context. In parallel, PLATO will study (host) stars using asteroseismology, allowing us to determine the stellar properties with high accuracy, substantially enhancing our knowledge of stellar structure and evolution. The payload instrument consists of 26 cameras with 12cm aperture each. For at least four years, the mission will perform high-precision photometric measurements. Here we review the science objectives, present PLATO's target samples and fields, provide an overview of expected core science performance as well as a description of the instrument and the mission profile at the beginning of the serial production of the flight cameras. PLATO is scheduled for a launch date end 2026. This overview therefore provides a summary of the mission to the community in preparation of the upcoming operational phases.

The Rank Pricing Problem (RPP) is a challenging bilevel optimization problem with binary variables whose objective is to determine the optimal pricing strategy for a set of products to maximize the total benefit, given that customer preferences influence the price for each product. Traditional methods for solving RPP are based on exact approaches which may be computationally expensive. In contrast, this paper presents a novel approach utilizing Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS), a popular heuristic known for its effectiveness in solving combinatorial optimization problems. Our proposed VNS algorithm introduces problem-specific neighborhood operators designed to effectively explore the solution space of the RPP. Even though our methodology does not have optimality guarantees, our computational experiments show that it outperforms Mixed Integer Program solvers regarding solution quality and computational burden.

The brain has computational capabilities that surpass those of modern systems, being able to solve complex problems efficiently in a simple way. Neuromorphic engineering aims to mimic biology in order to develop new systems capable of incorporating such capabilities. Bio-inspired learning systems continue to be a challenge that must be solved, and much work needs to be done in this regard. Among all brain regions, the hippocampus stands out as an autoassociative short-term memory with the capacity to learn and recall memories from any fragment of them. These characteristics make the hippocampus an ideal candidate for developing bio-inspired learning systems that, in addition, resemble content-addressable memories. Therefore, in this work we propose a bio-inspired spiking content-addressable memory model based on the CA3 region of the hippocampus with the ability to learn, forget and recall memories, both orthogonal and non-orthogonal, from any fragment of them. The model was implemented on the SpiNNaker hardware platform using Spiking Neural Networks. A set of experiments based on functional, stress and applicability tests were performed to demonstrate its correct functioning. This work presents the first hardware implementation of a fully-functional bio-inspired spiking hippocampal content-addressable memory model, paving the way for the development of future more complex neuromorphic systems., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, journal, Spiking Neural Network

A closed-form analytical expression for $\ce{[H3O+]}$ has been obtained for aqueous solutions of diprotic acids and its soluble salts. This formula allows to calculate the pH of aqueous solutions of diprotic acids, their buffer solutions, and the titrations of these two by a strong base, from the values of p$K_1$, p$K_2$, and the effective concentrations of the acid and the base, $\bar{C}_\mathrm{a}$ and $\bar{C}_\mathrm{b}$ respectively. It is shown that a strong base titration of an acid, or its buffer solutions, is always a linear path in the $\bar{C}_\mathrm{a}$--$\bar{C}_\mathrm{b}$ plane, which allows a simple analysis of the pH stability of buffer solutions. The mathematical analysis of the equilibrium equations of the dissolution of a diprotic acid in water and the physical constraints allowed to obtain two approximate equations for the diprotic acids. One of the approximations is useful for acids with $\mathrm{p}K_2-\mathrm{p}K_1\le\log_{10}4$, the other for acids with $\mathrm{p}K_2-\mathrm{p}K_1\le-\log_{10}4$.

This paper addresses the Optimal Transmission Switching (OTS) problem in electricity networks, which aims to find an optimal power grid topology that minimizes system operation costs while satisfying physical and operational constraints. Existing methods typically convert the OTS problem into a Mixed-Integer Linear Program (MILP) using big-M constants. However, the computational performance of these approaches relies significantly on the tightness of these big-Ms. In this paper, we propose an iterative tightening strategy to strengthen the big-Ms by efficiently solving a series of bounding problems that account for the economics of the OTS objective function through an upper-bound on the generating cost. We also discuss how the performance of the proposed tightening strategy is enhanced if reduced line capacities are considered. Using the 118-bus test system we demonstrate that the proposed methodology outperforms existing approaches, offering tighter bounds and significantly reducing the computational burden of the OTS problem.

In the Maximum Capture Facility Location (MCFL) problem with a binary choice rule, a company intends to locate a series of facilities to maximize the captured demand, and customers patronize the facility that maximizes their utility. In this work, we generalize the MCFL problem assuming that the facilities of the decision maker act cooperatively to increase the customers' utility over the company. We propose a utility maximization rule between the captured utility of the decision maker and the opt-out utility of a competitor already installed in the market. Furthermore, we model the captured utility by means of an Ordered Median function (OMf) of the partial utilities of newly open facilities. We name this problem "the Cooperative Maximum Capture Facility Location problem" (CMCFL). The OMf serves as a means to compute the utility of each customer towards the company as an aggregation of ordered partial utilities, and constitutes a unifying framework for CMCFL models. We introduce a multiperiod non-linear bilevel formulation for the CMCFL with an embedded assignment problem characterizing the captured utilities. For this model, two exact resolution approaches are presented: a MILP reformulation with valid inequalities and an effective approach based on Benders' decomposition. Extensive computational experiments are provided to test our results with randomly generated data and an application to the location of charging stations for electric vehicles in the city of Trois-Rivi\`eres, Qu\`ebec, is addressed., Comment: 32 pages, 8 tables, 2 algorithms, 8 figures

The brain has a great capacity for computation and efficient resolution of complex problems, far surpassing modern computers. Neuromorphic engineering seeks to mimic the basic principles of the brain to develop systems capable of achieving such capabilities. In the neuromorphic field, navigation systems are of great interest due to their potential applicability to robotics, although these systems are still a challenge to be solved. This work proposes a spike-based robotic navigation and environment pseudomapping system formed by a bio-inspired hippocampal memory model connected to a Posterior Parietal Cortex model. The hippocampus is in charge of maintaining a representation of an environment state map, and the PPC is in charge of local decision-making. This system was implemented on the SpiNNaker hardware platform using Spiking Neural Networks. A set of real-time experiments was applied to demonstrate the correct functioning of the system in virtual and physical environments on a robotic platform. The system is able to navigate through the environment to reach a goal position starting from an initial position, avoiding obstacles and mapping the environment. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first implementation of an environment pseudo-mapping system with dynamic learning based on a bio-inspired hippocampal memory., Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures, journal, Neural Networks

With the ongoing investment in data collection and communication technology in power systems, data-driven optimization has been established as a powerful tool for system operators to handle stochastic system states caused by weather- and behavior-dependent resources. However, most methods are ignorant to data quality, which may differ based on measurement and underlying privacy-protection mechanisms. This paper addresses this shortcoming by (i) proposing a practical data quality metric based on Wasserstein distance, (ii) leveraging a novel modification of distributionally robust optimization using information from multiple data sets with heterogeneous quality to valuate data, (iii) applying the proposed optimization framework to an optimal power flow problem, and (iv) showing a direct method to valuate data from the optimal solution. We conduct numerical experiments to analyze and illustrate the proposed model and publish the implementation open-source.

The design of new strategies that exploit methods from Machine Learning to facilitate the resolution of challenging and large-scale mathematical optimization problems has recently become an avenue of prolific and promising research. In this paper, we propose a novel learning procedure to assist in the solution of a well-known computationally difficult optimization problem in power systems: The Direct Current Optimal Transmission Switching (DC-OTS) problem. The DC-OTS problem consists in finding the configuration of the power network that results in the cheapest dispatch of the power generating units. With the increasing variability in the operating conditions of power grids, the DC-OTS problem has lately sparked renewed interest, because operational strategies that include topological network changes have proved to be effective and efficient in helping maintain the balance between generation and demand. The DC-OTS problem includes a set of binaries that determine the on/off status of the switchable transmission lines. Therefore, it takes the form of a mixed-integer program, which is NP-hard in general. In this paper, we propose an approach to tackle the DC-OTS problem that leverages known solutions to past instances of the problem to speed up the mixed-integer optimization of a new unseen model. Although our approach does not offer optimality guarantees, a series of numerical experiments run on a real-life power system dataset show that it features a very high success rate in identifying the optimal grid topology (especially when compared to alternative competing heuristics), while rendering remarkable speed-up factors.

Uncertainty in renewable energy generation has the potential to adversely impact the operation of electric networks. Numerous approaches to manage this impact have been proposed, ranging from stochastic and chance-constrained programming to robust optimization. However, these approaches either tend to be conservative or leave the system vulnerable to low probability, high impact uncertainty realizations. To address this issue, we propose a new formulation for stochastic optimal power flow that explicitly distinguishes between "normal operation", in which automatic generation control (AGC) is sufficient to guarantee system security, and "adverse operation", in which the system operator is required to take additional actions, e.g., manual reserve deployment. The new formulation has been compared with the classical ones in a case study on the IEEE-118 and IEEE-300 bus systems. We observe that our consideration of extreme scenarios enables solutions that are more secure than typical chance-constrained formulations, yet less costly than solutions that guarantee robust feasibility with only AGC., Comment: 10 pages

Closed-form expressions for the pH of ideal weak acid and weak acid buffer solutions (and their titration with a strong base) were obtained and analyzed with the aid of computer algebra systems. These expressions are used to evaluate, without the use of numerical approximations, the precision and accuracy of different approximations commonly employed to calculate the pH. The closed-form expression for the pH of a buffer solution is used to obtain an analytical expression for the pH stability when a strong base is added. Finally, it is shown that the pH expressions for all the systems under study can be obtained from an unique closed-form expression in terms of an effective weak acid constant and an effective acid concentration., Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures

We have identified 2XMM J125556.57+565846.4, at a distance of 600 pc, as a binary system consisting of a normal star and a probable dormant neutron star. Optical spectra exhibit a slightly evolved F-type single star, displaying periodic Doppler shifts with a 2.76-day Keplerian circular orbit, with no indication of light from a secondary component. Optical and UV photometry reveal ellipsoidal variations with half the orbital period, due to the tidal deformation of the F star. The mass of the unseen companion is constrained to the range $1.1$--$2.1\,M_{\odot}$ at $3\sigma$ confidence, with the median of the mass distribution at $1.4\,M_{\odot}$, the typical mass of known neutron stars. A main-sequence star cannot masquerade as the dark companion. The distribution of possible companion masses still allows for the possibility of a very massive white dwarf. The companion itself could also be a close pair consisting of a white dwarf and an M star, or two white dwarfs, although the binary evolution that would lead to such a close triple system is unlikely. Similar ambiguities regarding the certain identification of a dormant neutron star are bound to affect most future discoveries of this type of non-interacting system. If the system indeed contains a dormant neutron star, it will become, in the future, a bright X-ray source and afterwards might even host a millisecond pulsar., Comment: 35 pages, 21 figures. accepted for publication in MNRAS

The nervous system, more specifically, the brain, is capable of solving complex problems simply and efficiently, far surpassing modern computers. In this regard, neuromorphic engineering is a research field that focuses on mimicking the basic principles that govern the brain in order to develop systems that achieve such computational capabilities. Within this field, bio-inspired learning and memory systems are still a challenge to be solved, and this is where the hippocampus is involved. It is the region of the brain that acts as a short-term memory, allowing the learning and unstructured and rapid storage of information from all the sensory nuclei of the cerebral cortex and its subsequent recall. In this work, we propose a novel bio-inspired memory model based on the hippocampus with the ability to learn memories, recall them from a cue (a part of the memory associated with the rest of the content) and even forget memories when trying to learn others with the same cue. This model has been implemented on the SpiNNaker hardware platform using Spiking Neural Networks, and a set of experiments and tests were performed to demonstrate its correct and expected operation. The proposed spike-based memory model generates spikes only when it receives an input, being energy efficient, and it needs 7 timesteps for the learning step and 6 timesteps for recalling a previously-stored memory. This work presents the first hardware implementation of a fully functional bio-inspired spike-based hippocampus memory model, paving the road for the development of future more complex neuromorphic systems., Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, journal, Neural Networks

Neuromorphic engineering concentrates the efforts of a large number of researchers due to its great potential as a field of research, in a search for the exploitation of the advantages of the biological nervous system and the brain as a whole for the design of more efficient and real-time capable applications. For the development of applications as close to biology as possible, Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) are used, considered biologically-plausible and that form the third generation of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). Since some SNN-based applications may need to store data in order to use it later, something that is present both in digital circuits and, in some form, in biology, a spiking memory is needed. This work presents a spiking implementation of a memory, which is one of the most important components in the computer architecture, and which could be essential in the design of a fully spiking computer. In the process of designing this spiking memory, different intermediate components were also implemented and tested. The tests were carried out on the SpiNNaker neuromorphic platform and allow to validate the approach used for the construction of the presented blocks. In addition, this work studies in depth how to build spiking blocks using this approach and includes a comparison between it and those used in other similar works focused on the design of spiking components, which include both spiking logic gates and spiking memory. All implemented blocks and developed tests are available in a public repository., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, 8 tables, journal paper, Neural Networks

The human brain is the most powerful and efficient machine in existence today, surpassing in many ways the capabilities of modern computers. Currently, lines of research in neuromorphic engineering are trying to develop hardware that mimics the functioning of the brain to acquire these superior capabilities. One of the areas still under development is the design of bio-inspired memories, where the hippocampus plays an important role. This region of the brain acts as a short-term memory with the ability to store associations of information from different sensory streams in the brain and recall them later. This is possible thanks to the recurrent collateral network architecture that constitutes CA3, the main sub-region of the hippocampus. In this work, we developed two spike-based computational models of fully functional hippocampal bio-inspired memories for the storage and recall of complex patterns implemented with spiking neural networks on the SpiNNaker hardware platform. These models present different levels of biological abstraction, with the first model having a constant oscillatory activity closer to the biological model, and the second one having an energy-efficient regulated activity, which, although it is still bio-inspired, opts for a more functional approach. Different experiments were performed for each of the models, in order to test their learning/recalling capabilities. A comprehensive comparison between the functionality and the biological plausibility of the presented models was carried out, showing their strengths and weaknesses. The two models, which are publicly available for researchers, could pave the way for future spike-based implementations and applications., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, conference, IJCNN 2022, accepted for publication

One of the most interesting and still growing scientific fields is neuromorphic engineering, which is focused on studying and designing hardware and software with the purpose of mimicking the basic principles of biological nervous systems. Currently, there are many research groups developing practical applications based on neuroscientific knowledge. This work provides researchers with a novel toolkit of building blocks based on Spiking Neural Networks that emulate the behavior of different logic gates. These could be very useful in many spike-based applications, since logic gates are the basis of digital circuits. The designs and models proposed are presented and implemented on a SpiNNaker hardware platform. Different experiments were performed in order to validate the expected behavior, and the obtained results are discussed. The functionality of traditional logic gates and the proposed blocks is studied, and the feasibility of the presented approach is discussed., Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, conference, IJCNN 2022, accepted for publication