72-hour real-time forecasting of ambient PM2.5 by hybrid graph deep neural network with aggregated neighborhood spatiotemporal information.

The observation-based air pollution forecasting method has high computational efficiency over traditional numerical models, but a poor ability in long-term (after 6 h) forecasting due to a lack of detailed representation of atmospheric processes associated with the pollution transport. To address such limitation, here we propose a novel real-time air pollution forecasting model that applies a hybrid graph deep neural network (GNN_LSTM) to dynamically capture the spatiotemporal correlations among neighborhood monitoring sites to better represent the physical mechanism of pollutant transport across the space with the graph structure which is established with features (angle, wind speed, and wind direction) of neighborhood sites to quantify their interactions. Such design substantially improves the model performance in 72-hour PM2.5 forecasting over the whole Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (overall R2 increases from 0.6 to 0.79), particularly for polluted episodes (PM2.5 concentration > 55 µg/m3) with pronounced regional transport to be captured by GNN_LSTM model. The inclusion of the AOD feature further enhances the model performance in predicting PM2.5 over the sites where the AOD can inform additional aloft PM2.5 pollution features related to regional transport. The importance of neighborhood site (particularly for those in the upwind flow pathway of the target area) features for long-term PM2.5 forecast is demonstrated by the increased performance in predicting PM2.5 in the target city (Beijing) with the inclusion of additional 128 neighborhood sites. Moreover, the newly developed GNN_LSTM model also implies the "source"-receptor relationship, as impacts from distanced sites associated with regional transport grow along with the forecasting time (from 0% to 38% in 72 h) following the wind flow. Such results suggest the great potential of GNN_LSTM in long-term air quality forecasting and air pollution prevention.

Accuracy and efficiency of an artificial intelligence-based pulmonary broncho-vascular three-dimensional reconstruction system supporting thoracic surgery: retrospective and prospective validation study.

BACKGROUND: Anthropomorphic phantoms are used in surgical planning and intervention. Ideal accuracy and high efficiency are prerequisites for its clinical application. We aimed to develop a fully automated artificial intelligence-based three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction system (AI system) to assist thoracic surgery and to determine its accuracy, efficiency, and safety for clinical use. METHODS: This AI system was developed based on a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) and optimized by gradient descent after training with 500 cases, achieving a Dice coefficient of 89.2%. Accuracy was verified by comparing virtual structures predicted by the AI system with anatomical structures of patients in retrospective (n = 113) and prospective cohorts (n = 139) who underwent lobectomy or segmentectomy at the Peking University Cancer Hospital. Operation time and blood loss were compared between the retrospective cohort (without AI assistance) and prospective cohort (with AI assistance) for safety evaluation. The time consumption for reconstruction and the quality score were compared between the AI system and manual reconstruction software (Mimics®) for efficiency validation. This study was registered at https://www.chictr.org.cn as ChiCTR2100050985. FINDINGS: The AI system reconstructed 13,608 pulmonary segmental branches from retrospective and prospective cohorts, and 1573 branches of interest corresponding to phantoms were detectable during the operation for verification, achieving 100% and 97% accuracy for segmental bronchi, 97.2% and 99.1% for segmental arteries, and 93.2% and 98.8% for segmental veins, respectively. With the assistance of the AI system, the operation time was shortened by 24.5 min for lobectomy (p < 0.001) and 20 min for segmentectomy (p = 0.007). Compared to Mimics®, the AI system reduced the model reconstruction time by 14.2 min (p < 0.001), and it also outperformed Mimics® in model quality scores (p < 0.001). INTERPRETATION: The AI system can accurately predict thoracic anatomical structures with higher efficiency than manual reconstruction software. Constant optimization and larger population validation are required. FUNDING: This study was funded by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. L222020) and other sources.

Multi-parameter adjustment for high-precision azimuthal intersection positioning.

The traditional azimuthal intersection method is viable for situations with only two control stations but a simple height averaging is not rigorous because the intersections vary in their distances from the two stations. In order to obtain the high-precision azimuthal intersections, this study presented a multi-parameter adjustment method, together with the Earth curvature correction and the atmospheric refraction correction models. This method is robust with varied distances between the control stations and the targeted intersections, without limitation of station quantity.•Based on the traditional space intersection, a multi-parameter adjustment model is added into the data processing for high-precision 3D positioning.•Both the Earth curvature error correction model and the atmospheric error correction model are included in the multi-parameter adjustment model, so the intersected points are more accurate than traditional intersections.