Yu Zhang

Prof. Dr. Yu Zhang


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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11 March 2024 in Agriculture
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
YZYu Zhang
Yu Zhang
JNJiajun Niu
Jiajun Niu
ZHZezhong Huang
Zezhong Huang
CPChunlei Pan
Chunlei Pan
YXYueju Xue
Yueju Xue
FTFengxiao Tan
Fengxiao Tan
An algorithm model based on computer vision is one of the critical technologies that are imperative for agriculture and forestry planting. In this paper, a vision algorithm model based on StyleGAN and improved YOLOv5s is proposed to detect sandalwood trees from unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing data, and this model has excellent adaptability to complex environments. To enhance feature expression ability, a CA (coordinate attention) module with dimensional information is introduced, which can both capture target channel information and keep correlation information between long-range pixels. To improve the training speed and test accuracy, SIOU (structural similarity intersection over union) is proposed to replace the traditional loss function, whose direction matching degree between the prediction box and the real box is fully considered. To achieve the generalization ability of the model, StyleGAN is introduced to augment the remote sensing data of sandalwood trees and to improve the sample balance of different flight heights. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of sandalwood tree detection increased from 93% to 95.2% through YOLOv5s model improvement; then, on that basis, the accuracy increased by another 0.4% via data generation from the StyleGAN algorithm model, finally reaching 95.6%. Compared with the mainstream lightweight models YOLOv5-mobilenet, YOLOv5-ghost, YOLOXs, and YOLOv4-tiny, the accuracy of this method is 2.3%, 2.9%, 3.6%, and 6.6% higher, respectively. The size of the training sandalwood tree model is 14.5 Mb, and the detection time is 17.6 ms. Thus, the algorithm demonstrates the advantages of having high detection accuracy, a compact model size, and a rapid processing speed, making it suitable for integration into edge computing devices for on-site real-time monitoring.

4 May 2024 in Heliyon
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
YZYu Zhang
Yu Zhang
HXHao-Ran Xu
Hao-Ran Xu
JWJun-Hao Wen
Jun-Hao Wen
YHYu-Jun Hu
Yu-Jun Hu
YDYin-Liang Diao
Yin-Liang Diao
YXYunfei Xia
Yunfei Xia
Accurate delineation of Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) is crucial for radiotherapy. Deep learning-driven GTV segmentation technologies excel in rapidly and accurately delineating GTV, providing a basis for radiologists in formulating radiation plans. The existing 2D and 3D segmentation models of GTV based on deep learning are limited by the loss of spatial features and anisotropy respectively, and are both affected by the variability of tumor characteristics, blurred boundaries, and background interference. All these factors seriously affect the segmentation performance. To address the above issues, a Layer-Volume Parallel Attention (LVPA)-UNet model based on 2D-3D architecture has been proposed in this study, in which three strategies are introduced. Firstly, 2D and 3D workflows are introduced in the LVPA-UNet. They work in parallel and can guide each other. Both the fine features of each slice of 2D MRI and the 3D anatomical structure and spatial features of the tumor can be extracted by them. Secondly, parallel multi-branch depth-wise strip convolutions adapt the model to tumors of varying shapes and sizes within slices and volumetric spaces, and achieve refined processing of blurred boundaries. Lastly, a Layer-Channel Attention mechanism is proposed to adaptively adjust the weights of slices and channels according to their different tumor information, and then to highlight slices and channels with tumor. The experiments by LVPA-UNet on 1010 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) MRI datasets from three centers show a DSC of 0.7907, precision of 0.7929, recall of 0.8025, and HD95 of 1.8702 mm, outperforming eight typical models. Compared to the baseline model, it improves DSC by 2.14 %, precision by 2.96 %, and recall by 1.01 %, while reducing HD95 by 0.5434 mm. Consequently, while ensuring the efficiency of segmentation through deep learning, LVPA-UNet is able to provide superior GTV delineation results for radiotherapy and offer technical support for precision medicine.

29 September 2025 in Bioengineering
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
YYYUHAO Yang
YUHAO Yang
JWJunhao Wen
Junhao Wen
TWTianyi Wu
Tianyi Wu
董金董 金让
董 金让
YXYunfei Xia
Yunfei Xia
YZYu Zhang
Yu Zhang
Image segmentation and survival prediction for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are crucial for clinical diagnosis and treatment decisions. This study presents an improved 3D-UNet-based model for NPC GTV segmentation, referred to as LG-UNet. The encoder introduces deep strip convolution and channel attention mechanisms to enhance feature extraction while avoiding spatial feature loss and anisotropic constraints. The decoder incorporates Dynamic Large Convolutional Kernel (DLCK) and Global Feature Fusion (GFF) modules to capture multi-scale features and integrate global contextual information, enabling precise segmentation of the tumor GTV in NPC MRI images. Risk prediction is performed on the segmented multi-modal MRI images using the Lung-Net model, with output risk factors combined with clinical data in the Cox model to predict metastatic probabilities for NPC lesions. Experimental results on 442 NPC MRI scans from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center showed DSC of 0.8223, accuracy of 0.8235, recall of 0.8297, and HD95 of 1.6807 mm. Compared to the baseline model, the DSC improved by 7.73%, accuracy increased by 4.52%, and recall improved by 3.40%. The combined model’s risk prediction showed C-index values of 0.756, with a 5-year AUC value of 0.789. This model can serve as an auxiliary tool for clinical decision-making in NPC.