ASP: Learn a Universal Neural Solver!

Applying machine learning to combinatorial optimization problems has the potential to improve both efficiency and accuracy. However, existing learning-based solvers often struggle with generalization when faced with changes in problem distributions and scales. In this paper, we propose a new approach called ASP: Adaptive Staircase Policy Space Response Oracle to address these generalization issues and learn a universal neural solver. ASP consists of two components: Distributional Exploration, which enhances the solver's ability to handle unknown distributions using Policy Space Response Oracles, and Persistent Scale Adaption, which improves scalability through curriculum learning. We have tested ASP on several challenging COPs, including the traveling salesman problem, the vehicle routing problem, and the prize collecting TSP, as well as the real-world instances from TSPLib and CVRPLib. Our results show that even with the same model size and weak training signal, ASP can help neural solvers explore and adapt to unseen distributions and varying scales, achieving superior performance. In particular, compared with the same neural solvers under a standard training pipeline, ASP produces a remarkable decrease in terms of the optimality gap with 90.9% and 47.43% on generated instances and real-world instances for TSP, and a decrease of 19% and 45.57% for CVRP.

Mastering the game of Stratego with model-free multiagent reinforcement learning.

We introduce DeepNash, an autonomous agent that plays the imperfect information game Stratego at a human expert level. Stratego is one of the few iconic board games that artificial intelligence (AI) has not yet mastered. It is a game characterized by a twin challenge: It requires long-term strategic thinking as in chess, but it also requires dealing with imperfect information as in poker. The technique underpinning DeepNash uses a game-theoretic, model-free deep reinforcement learning method, without search, that learns to master Stratego through self-play from scratch. DeepNash beat existing state-of-the-art AI methods in Stratego and achieved a year-to-date (2022) and all-time top-three ranking on the Gravon games platform, competing with human expert players.

Time to return to full training and recurrence of rectus femoris injuries in elite track and field athletes 2010-2019; a 9-year study using the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification.

Rectus femoris (RF) injuries are common in sports requiring maximal acceleration and sprinting. The British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification (BAMIC) describes acute muscle injury based on the anatomical site of injury and has been associated with return to play in hamstring and calf muscle injury. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the time to return to full training (TRFT) and injury recurrence for BAMIC-classified RF injuries sustained by elite track and field (T&F) athletes over a 9-year period. All rectus femoris injuries sustained by elite T&F athletes on the British Athletics World Class Program between September 2010 and September 2019 that were investigated with an MRI within 7 days of acute onset anterior thigh pain were included. Injuries were graded from the MRI by a specialist musculoskeletal radiologist using the BAMIC, and TRFT and injury recurrence were determined by evaluation of the Electronic Medical Record. Athlete demographics and World Athletics event discipline were recorded. Specific injury details including mechanism, location of injury, and whether surgical or rehabilitation management was undertaken were recorded. There were 38 RF injuries in 27 athletes (24.7 ± 2.3 years; 10 male, 17 female). Average TRFT for rehabilitation managed cases was 20.4 ± 14.8 days. Grade 1 injuries had significantly shorter TRFT compared with grades 2 (p = 0.04) and 3 (p = 0.01). Intratendinous (c) and surgically managed RF injuries each had significantly longer TRFT compared with other injury classes (p < 0.001). Myofascial (a) injuries had reduced repeat injury rates compared with b or c classes (p = 0.048). Grade 3 injuries had an increased repeat injury rate compared with other grades (p = 0.02). There were 4 complete (4c) proximal free tendon injuries sustained during sprinting and all in female athletes. The average TRFT for RF injuries in elite T&F is similar to that previously identified in elite football and Australian Rules. Similar to previous research in hamstring and calf injury, RF injuries extending into the tendon (BAMIC class c) had delayed TRFT which may reflect the longer duration required for tendon healing and adaptation. Grade 3 injuries had in increased repeat injury rate compared with grades 1 and 2. The BAMIC diagnostic framework may provide useful information for clinicians managing rectus femoris injuries in T&F.

Deep Learning-Assisted Multiphoton Microscopy to Reduce Light Exposure and Expedite Imaging in Tissues With High and Low Light Sensitivity.

Purpose: Two-photon excitation fluorescence (2PEF) reveals information about tissue function. Concerns for phototoxicity demand lower light exposure during imaging. Reducing excitation light reduces the quality of the image by limiting fluorescence emission. We applied deep learning (DL) super-resolution techniques to images acquired from low light exposure to yield high-resolution images of retinal and skin tissues. Methods: We analyzed two methods: a method based on U-Net and a patch-based regression method using paired images of skin (550) and retina (1200), each with low- and high-resolution paired images. The retina dataset was acquired at low and high laser powers from retinal organoids, and the skin dataset was obtained from averaging 7 to 15 frames or 70 frames. Mean squared error (MSE) and the structural similarity index measure (SSIM) were outcome measures for DL algorithm performance. Results: For the skin dataset, the patches method achieved a lower MSE (3.768) compared with U-Net (4.032) and a high SSIM (0.824) compared with U-Net (0.783). For the retinal dataset, the patches method achieved an average MSE of 27,611 compared with 146,855 for the U-Net method and an average SSIM of 0.636 compared with 0.607 for the U-Net method. The patches method was slower (303 seconds) than the U-Net method (<1 second). Conclusions: DL can reduce excitation light exposure in 2PEF imaging while preserving image quality metrics. Translational Relevance: DL methods will aid in translating 2PEF imaging from benchtop systems to in vivo imaging of light-sensitive tissues such as the retina.

[Employees in professional European football: comparison of the personnel structure in sports medicine, sports sciences and physiotherapy between Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Premier League]. / Mitarbeiter im professionellen europäischen Fußball ­ Vergleich der Personalstruktur in der Sportmedizin, -wissenschaft und Physiotherapie zwischen der Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A und der Premier League.

INTRODUCTION: Regional and league-specific differences in injury risk and time loss have been observed in professional European football. Besides time of play or different pre-season preparations, possible reasons may also include medical and sport-scientific support. A survey of what UEFA deems to be the best four football clubs has therefore been conducted to investigate the personnel status in the fields of medicine, physiotherapy, massage, sports science and athletic and "strength and conditioning" coaching in order to compare the Erste Bundesliga with the first leagues of the other countries. METHODS: The study is based on a survey of all 78 teams in the highest football leagues of Germany (Bundesliga), Spain (La Liga), Italy (Serie A) and England (Premier League). The teams were contacted directly and a questionnaire concerning their personnel deployment in the different fields was handed out. RESULTS: The Bundesliga was found to have a significantly lower total number of employees compared with the other European leagues (6.9 vs. 11.02; p < 0.0001). The number of physicians in the Bundesliga is significantly higher (2.2 vs. 1.76; p = 0.0259), but the number of physicians dedicating more than 80 % of their total medical practice to the team was significantly lower in the Bundesliga (0.2 vs. 1.45; < 0.0001). In the group of physiotherapists (1.8 vs. 3.6; p < 0.001), massage therapists (2.1 vs. 2.69; p = 0.0094), sports scientists (0.3 vs. 1.12; p < 0.0001) and athletic and "strength and conditioning" coaches (0.5 vs. 1.83; p < 0.0001), there were also significant differences between the staff structure in the Bundesliga compared with the grouped results of the other leagues. CONCLUSION: The personnel structure and the personnel employment in the Bundesliga in sports medicine and sports sciences differs significantly from La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League with the latter three leagues having more personnel and the personnel having closer ties to their teams. Further investigation is necessary to find out if this may be a reason for the differences in injury rates observed between these leagues. A special focus should be placed on country-specific differences in the professions including education and scope of work.

Eccentric hamstring strength in elite track and field athletes on the British Athletics world class performance program.

OBJECTIVES: This novel study aims to provide unique data on eccentric hamstring strength in elite track and field athletes. DESIGN: Clinical measurement, cross-sectional study. SETTING: Across two British Athletics performance centres. PARTICIPANTS: 44 elite British track and field athletes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Eccentric hamstring force and torque were evaluated using the Nordbord device. Injury history and demographic data was collected to assess whether differences between gender, event group, limb symmetry and previous injury history were present. RESULTS: Average peak force for males and females was 418.38N and 318.54N. Relative to body weight there were no gender differences (Male 5.21N.kg-1, Female 4.99N.kg-1) (p = 0.62). The right limb was significantly stronger in long sprint (400m athletes) (p = 0.00018) (d = 0.56). No differences in relative force or torque were observed between previously injured and non-injured limbs. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides unique data in elite track and field athletes. Relative force per kilogram should be used when comparing male and female athletes. Unlike other studies, we found no difference in eccentric strength between previously injured and non-injured limbs. The novel finding of increased eccentric strength demonstrated in the right limb in 400m sprinters may be due to the asymmetric demands of bend running and may be considered normal.

Hamstring rehabilitation in elite track and field athletes: applying the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification in clinical practice.

RATIONALE: Hamstring injuries are common in elite sports. Muscle injury classification systems aim to provide a framework for diagnosis. The British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification (BAMIC) describes an MRI classification system with clearly defined, anatomically focused classes based on the site of injury: (a) myofascial, (b) muscle-tendon junction or (c) intratendinous; and the extent of the injury, graded from 0 to 4. However, there are no clinical guidelines that link the specific diagnosis (as above) with a focused rehabilitation plan. OBJECTIVE: We present an overview of the general principles of, and rationale for, exercise-based hamstring injury rehabilitation in British Athletics. We describe how British Athletics clinicians use the BAMIC to help manage elite track and field athletes with hamstring injury. Within each class of injury, we discuss four topics: clinical presentation, healing physiology, how we prescribe and progress rehabilitation and how we make the shared decision to return to full training. We recommend a structured and targeted diagnostic and rehabilitation approach to improve outcomes after hamstring injury.

Nonoperative Management, Rehabilitation, and Functional and Clinical Progression of Osteitis Pubis/Pubic Bone Stress in Professional Soccer Players: A Case Series.

Study Design Case series. Background Pubic bone stress (PBS) is a common acute or chronic response of the pelvis in sports where sprinting, kicking, twisting, and cutting are the dominant movements. There are few nonoperative rehabilitation strategies for the condition reported in the literature, and the outcome of conservative treatment has not been documented. Case Description Five professional and academy soccer players complaining of pubic symphysis pain, confirmed as PBS on magnetic resonance imaging and objective assessment, were treated with a nonoperative rehabilitation program that featured functional and clinical objective markers as progression criteria. Interventions in the acute phase included pharmacological and physical therapeutic modalities to reduce pain initially. Rehabilitation management focused on improving range of motion at the hips and thorax, adductor strengthening, trunk and lumbopelvic stability, gym-based strength training, and field-based rehabilitation and conditioning. Clinical follow-up was performed at least 8 months following return to play. Outcomes All players demonstrated reduced or resolved pain, increased adductor squeeze strength, and return to pain-free training and match play. Return-to-training time averaged 40.6 days (range, 30-60 days) and return to play averaged 49.4 days (range, 38-72 days) within the 5 players. At final follow-up (mean, 29.6 months; range, 16-33 months), there had been no recurrences. Discussion This report of 5 cases suggests that a nonoperative protocol, using clinical and functional progression criteria, may be successful in rehabilitating athletes with PBS for return to sport within 11 weeks. Level of Evidence Therapy, level 4. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(9):683-690. Epub 3 Aug 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7314.

Endothelium-derived intermedin/adrenomedullin-2 protects human ventricular cardiomyocytes from ischaemia-reoxygenation injury predominantly via the AM1 receptor.

Application of intermedin/adrenomedullin-2 (IMD/AM-2) protects cultured human cardiac vascular cells and fibroblasts from oxidative stress and simulated ischaemia-reoxygenation injury (I-R), predominantly via adrenomedullin AM1 receptor involvement; similar protection had not been investigated previously in human cardiomyocytes (HCM). Expression of IMD, AM and their receptor components was studied in HCM. Receptor subtype involvement in protection by exogenous IMD against injury by simulated I-R was investigated using receptor component-specific siRNAs. Direct protection by endogenous IMD against HCM injury, both as an autocrine factor produced in HCM themselves and as a paracrine factor released from HCMEC co-cultured with HCM, was investigated using peptide-specific siRNA for IMD. IMD, AM and their receptor components (CLR, RAMPs1-3) were expressed in HCM. IMD 1nmol L(-1), applied either throughout ischaemia (3h) and re-oxygenation (1h) or during re-oxygenation (1h) alone, attenuated HCM injury (P<0.05); cell viabilities were 59% and 61% respectively vs. 39% in absence of IMD. Cytoskeletal disruption, protein carbonyl formation and caspase activity followed similar patterns. Pre-treatment (4 days) of HCM with CLR and RAMP2 siRNAs attenuated (P<0.05) protection by exogenous IMD. Pre-treatment of HCMEC with IMD (and AM) siRNA augmented (P<0.05) I-R injury: cell viabilities were 22% (and 32%) vs. 39% untreated HCMEC. Pre-treatment of HCM with IMD (and AM) siRNA did not augment HCM injury: cell viabilities were 37% (and 39%) vs. 39% untreated HCM. Co-culture with HCMEC conferred protection from injury on HCM; such protection was attenuated when HCMEC were pre-treated with IMD (but not AM) siRNA before co-culture. Although IMD is present in HCM, IMD derived from HCMEC and acting in a paracrine manner, predominantly via AM1 receptors, makes a marked contribution to cardiomyocyte protection by the endogenous peptide against acute I-R injury.

Management of chronic recurrent osteitis pubis/pubic bone stress in a Premier League footballer: Evaluating the evidence base and application of a nine-point management strategy.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this paper was to use a clinical example to describe a treatment strategy for the management of recurrent chronic groin pain and evaluate the evidence of the interventions. METHODS: A professional footballer presented with chronic recurrent OP/PBS. The injury was managed successfully with a nine-point programme - 1. Acute pharmacological management. 2. Tone reduction of over-active structures. 3. Improved ROM at hips, pelvis and thorax. 4. Adductor strength. 5. Functional movement assessment. 6. Core stability. 7. Lumbo-pelvic control. 8. Gym-based strengthening. 9. Field-based conditioning/rehabilitation. The evidence for these interventions is reviewed. RESULTS: The player returned to full training and match play within 41 and 50 days, respectively, and experienced no recurrence of his symptoms in follow up at 13 months. CONCLUSION: This case report displays a nine-point conservative management strategy for OP/PBS, with non-time dependent clinical objective markers as the progression criteria in a Premier League football player.