Is There a Difference in Brain Functional Connectivity between Chinese Coal Mine Workers Who Have Engaged in Unsafe Behavior and Those Who Have Not?

(1) Background: As a world-recognized high-risk occupation, coal mine workers need various cognitive functions to process the surrounding information to cope with a large number of perceived hazards or risks. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the connection between coal mine workers’ neural activity and unsafe behavior from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience. This study explored the functional brain connectivity of coal mine workers who have engaged in unsafe behaviors (EUB) and those who have not (NUB). (2) Methods: Based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a total of 106 workers from the Hongliulin coal mine of Shaanxi North Mining Group, one of the largest modern coal mines in China, completed the test. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (COR) analysis, brain network analysis, and two-sample t-test were used to investigate the difference in brain functional connectivity between the two groups. (3) Results: The results showed that there were significant differences in functional brain connectivity between EUB and NUB among the frontopolar area (p = 0.002325), orbitofrontal area (p = 0.02102), and pars triangularis Broca’s area (p = 0.02888). Small-world properties existed in the brain networks of both groups, and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex had significant differences in clustering coefficient (p = 0.0004), nodal efficiency (p = 0.0384), and nodal local efficiency (p = 0.0004). (4) Conclusions: This study is the first application of fNIRS to the field of coal mine safety. The fNIRS brain functional connectivity analysis is a feasible method to investigate the neuropsychological mechanism of unsafe behavior in coal mine workers in the view of brain science.

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A Comparative Study of the Effect of Weighted or Binary Functional Brain Networks in fMRI Data Analysis

Frontiers in Biomedical Technologies ◽

10.18502/fbt.v7i3.4618 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hesam Ahmadi ◽

Emad Fatemizadeh ◽

Ali Motie Nasrabadi

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Brain Connectivity ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Clustering Coefficient ◽

Fmri Data ◽

Threshold Method ◽

P Values ◽

Fixed Threshold ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity ◽

The Brain

Purpose: Graph theory is a widely used and reliable tool to quantify brain connectivity. Brain functional connectivity is modeled as graph edges employing correlation coefficients. The correlation coefficients can be used as the weight that shows the power of connectivity between two nodes or can be binarized to show the existence of a connection regardless of its strength. To binarize the brain graph two approaches, namely fixed threshold and fixed density are often used. Materials and Methods: This paper aims to investigate the difference between weighted or binarized graphs in brain functional connectivity analysis. To achieve this goal, the brain connectivity matrices are generated employing the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). After preprocessing the data, weighted and binarized connectivity matrices are constructed using a fixed threshold and fixed density techniques. Graph global features are extracted and a non-parametric statistical test is performed to analyze the performance of the methods. Results: Results show that all three methods are powerful in distinguishing the healthy group from AD subjects. The P-Values of the weighted graph is close to the fixed threshold method. Conclusion: Also, it is worthwhile mentioning that the fixed threshold method is robust in changing the threshold while the fixed density method is very sensitive. On the other hand, graph global measures such as clustering coefficient and transitivity, regardless of the method, show significant differences between the control and AD groups. Furthermore, the P-Values of modularity measure are very varied according to the method and the selected threshold.

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Signal Game Analysis on the Effectiveness of Coal Mine Safety Supervision Based on the Affective Events Theory

Complexity ◽

10.1155/2020/5710419 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Xue Yang ◽

Yang Tian ◽

Kai Feng ◽

Juan Yang ◽

Shu-hui Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Equilibrium State ◽

Coal Mine ◽

Negative Emotions ◽

Mine Safety ◽

Affective Events Theory ◽

Safety Risk ◽

Coal Mine Safety ◽

Affective Events ◽

Unsafe Behavior ◽

The Impact

The main cause of coal mine safety accidents is the unsafe behavior of miners who are affected by their emotional state. Therefore, the implementation of effective emotional supervision is important for achieving the sustainable development of coal mining enterprises in China. Assuming rational players, a signaling game between miners (emotion-driven and judgement-driven) and managers is established from the perspective of Affective Events Theory in order to examine the impact of managers’ emotions on coal miners’ behavior; it analyzes the players’ strategy selections as well as the factors influencing the equilibrium states. The results show that the safety risk deposits paid by managers and the costs of emotion-driven miners disguising any negative emotions affect equilibrium. Under the separating equilibrium state, the emotional supervision system faces “the paradox of almost totally safe systems” and will be broken; the emotion-driven miners disguising any negative emotions will be permitted to work in the coal mine, creating a safety risk. Under the pooling equilibrium state, strong economic constraints, such as setting suitable safety risk deposits, may achieve effective emotional supervision of the miners, reducing the safety risk. The results are verified against a case study of the China Pingmei Shenma Group. Therefore, setting a suitable safety risk deposit to improve emotional supervision and creating punitive measures to prevent miners from disguising any negative emotions can reduce the number of coal mine safety accidents in China.

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Reduced functional connectivity between salience and visual networks in migraine with aura

Cephalalgia ◽

10.1177/0333102415583144 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 53-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

David M Niddam ◽

Kuan-Lin Lai ◽

Jong-Ling Fuh ◽

Chih-Ying Naomi Chuang ◽

Wei-Ta Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Visual Processing ◽

Brain Connectivity ◽

Anterior Insula ◽

Cognitive Networks ◽

Visual Aura ◽

Compensatory Response ◽

Visual Deficits ◽

Headache Severity ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity

Background Migraine with visual aura (MA) is associated with distinct visual disturbances preceding migraine attacks, but shares other visual deficits in between attacks with migraine without aura (MO). Here, we seek to determine if abnormalities specific to interictal MA patients exist in functional brain connectivity of intrinsic cognitive networks. In particular, these networks are involved in top-down modulation of visual processing. Methods Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, whole-brain functional connectivity maps were derived from seeds placed in the anterior insula and the middle frontal gyrus, key nodes of the salience and dorsal attention networks, respectively. Twenty-six interictal MA patients were compared with 26 matched MO patients and 26 healthy matched controls. Results The major findings were: connectivity between the anterior insula and occipital areas, including area V3A, was reduced in MA but not in MO. Connectivity changes between the anterior insula and occipital areas further correlated with the headache severity in MA only. Conclusions The unique pattern of connectivity changes found in interictal MA patients involved area V3A, an area previously implicated in aura generation. Hypoconnectivity to this and other occipital regions may either represent a compensatory response to occipital dysfunctions or predispose MA patients to the development of aura.

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Characterizing Complex Networks Using Entropy-Degree Diagrams: Unveiling Changes in Functional Brain Connectivity Induced by Ayahuasca

Entropy ◽

10.3390/e21020128 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 128 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Aline Viol ◽

Fernanda Palhano-Fontes ◽

Heloisa Onias ◽

Draulio de Araujo ◽

Philipp Hövel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Human Brain ◽

Resting State ◽

Structural Information ◽

Brain Connectivity ◽

Functional Brain ◽

States Of Consciousness ◽

Functional Brain Networks ◽

Empirical Networks ◽

Emergent Behaviors

With the aim of further advancing the understanding of the human brain’s functional connectivity, we propose a network metric which we term the geodesic entropy. This metric quantifies the Shannon entropy of the distance distribution to a specific node from all other nodes. It allows to characterize the influence exerted on a specific node considering statistics of the overall network structure. The measurement and characterization of this structural information has the potential to greatly improve our understanding of sustained activity and other emergent behaviors in networks. We apply this method to study how the psychedelic infusion Ayahuasca affects the functional connectivity of the human brain in resting state. We show that the geodesic entropy is able to differentiate functional networks of the human brain associated with two different states of consciousness in the awaking resting state: (i) the ordinary state and (ii) a state altered by ingestion of the Ayahuasca. The functional brain networks from subjects in the altered state have, on average, a larger geodesic entropy compared to the ordinary state. Finally, we discuss why the geodesic entropy may bring even further valuable insights into the study of the human brain and other empirical networks.

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KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE & BEHAVIOR OF CHERAT COAL MINE WORKERS REGARDING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY MEASURES IN NOWSHERA

Journal of Saidu Medical College, Swat ◽

10.52206/jsmc.2013.3.1.229-232 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 229-232

Author(s):

MUHAMMAD ISHTIAQ ◽

RAB NAWAZ ◽

NOOR JAHAN ◽

GHULAM SARWAR KHAN ◽

BUSHRA IFTIKHAR

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Coal Mine ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Specific Work ◽

Safety Measures ◽

Unsafe Behavior ◽

Attitude Behavior ◽

Mine Workers

Background: Globally, mining is considered as one of the most hazardous occupation. Significant numbersof workers are killed or become disabled due to occupational injuries and diseases. Accidents and injuriesoccur because of unsafe behavior, poor and specific work knowledge and human errors. A cross-sectionalstudy of consecutive (non probability) sampling technique was carried out from October 2012 toApril 2013in which 252 coal mine workers of Shakot were assessed for Knowledge Attitude & Behavior safety ofoccupational health & safety measures in the Department of Community Medicine Khyber MedicalCollege, Peshawar. The majority of the miners were unaware of the occupational safety at coal mines.54.76% had poor, 30.16%, had average knowledge while only 15.08% had good knowledge of occupationalhealth & safety measures among coal miners. 43.65% coal mine workers has low safety attitude and 38.49%coal mine workers has un-safe behavior of occupational health & safety measures in coal mines.Keywords: Coal mining, Knowledge,Attitude, Behavior Safety, Occupational health & safety

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Reorganization of Brain Functional Connectivity Network and Vision Restoration Following Combined tACS-tDCS Treatment After Occipital Stroke

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.729703 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jiahua Xu ◽

Zheng Wu ◽

Andreas Nürnberger ◽

Bernhard A. Sabel

Keyword(s):

Visual Field ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Temporal Lobe ◽

Brain Stimulation ◽

Occipital Lobe ◽

Clustering Coefficient ◽

Alpha Band ◽

Delta Band ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity

Objective: Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is already known to improve visual field functions in patients with optic nerve damage and partially restores the organization of brain functional connectivity networks (FCNs). However, because little is known if NIBS is effective also following brain damage, we now studied the correlation between visual field recovery and FCN reorganization in patients with stroke of the central visual pathway.Method: In a controlled, exploratory trial, 24 patients with hemianopia were randomly assigned to one of three brain stimulation groups: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)/transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) (ACDC); sham tDCS/tACS (AC); sham tDCS/sham tACS (Sham), which were compared to age-matched controls (n = 24). Resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) was collected at baseline, after 10 days stimulation and at 2 months follow-up. EEG recordings were analyzed for FCN measures using graph theory parameters, and FCN small worldness of the network and long pairwise coherence parameter alterations were then correlated with visual field performance.Result: ACDC enhanced alpha-band FCN strength in the superior occipital lobe of the lesioned hemisphere at follow-up. A negative correlation (r = −0.80) was found between the intact visual field size and characteristic path length (CPL) after ACDC with a trend of decreased alpha-band centrality of the intact middle occipital cortex. ACDC also significantly decreased delta band coherence between the lesion and the intact occipital lobe, and coherence was enhanced between occipital and temporal lobe of the intact hemisphere in the low beta band. Responders showed significantly higher strength in the low alpha band at follow-up in the intact lingual and calcarine cortex and in the superior occipital region of the lesioned hemisphere.Conclusion: While ACDC decreases delta band coherence between intact and damaged occipital brain areas indicating inhibition of low-frequency neural oscillations, ACDC increases FCN connectivity between the occipital and temporal lobe in the intact hemisphere. When taken together with the lower global clustering coefficient in responders, these findings suggest that FCN reorganization (here induced by NIBS) is adaptive in stroke. It leads to greater efficiency of neural processing, where the FCN requires fewer connections for visual processing.

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Brain connectivity-based prediction of real-life creativity is mediated by semantic memory structure

10.1101/2021.07.28.453991 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marcela Ovando-Tellez ◽

Yoed Nissan Kenett ◽

Mathias Benedek ◽

Matthieu Bernard ◽

Joan Belo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Semantic Memory ◽

Brain Connectivity ◽

Real Life ◽

Semantic Relatedness ◽

Predictive Modelling ◽

Judgment Task ◽

Creative Cognition ◽

Network Properties ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity

Creative cognition relies on the ability to form remote associations between concepts, which allows to generate novel ideas or solve new problems. Such an ability is related to the organisation of semantic memory; yet whether real-life creative behaviour relies on semantic memory organisation and its neural substrates remains unclear. Therefore, this study explored associations between brain functional connectivity patterns, network properties of individual semantic memory, and real-life creativity. We acquired multi-echo functional MRI data while participants underwent a semantic relatedness judgment task. These ratings were used to estimate their individual semantic memory networks, whose properties significantly predicted their real-life creativity. Using a connectome-based predictive modelling approach, we identified patterns of task-based functional connectivity that predicted creativity-related semantic memory network properties. Furthermore, these properties mediated the relationship between functional connectivity and real-life creativity. These results provide new insights into how brain connectivity supports the associative mechanisms of creativity.

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Abnormal Functional Brain Network in Parkinson's Disease and the Effect of Acute Deep Brain Stimulation

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.715455 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Zhibao Li ◽

Chong Liu ◽

Qiao Wang ◽

Kun Liang ◽

Chunlei Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Deep Brain Stimulation ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Frequency Band ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Brain Network ◽

Clustering Coefficient ◽

Functional Brain ◽

Frequency Bands ◽

The Brain ◽

Deep Brain

Objective: The objective of this study was to use functional connectivity and graphic indicators to investigate the abnormal brain network topological characteristics caused by Parkinson's disease (PD) and the effect of acute deep brain stimulation (DBS) on those characteristics in patients with PD.Methods: We recorded high-density EEG (256 channels) data from 21 healthy controls (HC) and 20 patients with PD who were in the DBS-OFF state and DBS-ON state during the resting state with eyes closed. A high-density EEG source connectivity method was used to identify functional brain networks. Power spectral density (PSD) analysis was compared between the groups. Functional connectivity was calculated for 68 brain regions in the theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–13 Hz), beta1 (13–20 Hz), and beta2 (20–30 Hz) frequency bands. Network estimates were measured at both the global (network topology) and local (inter-regional connection) levels.Results: Compared with HC, PSD was significantly increased in the theta (p = 0.003) frequency band and was decreased in the beta1 (p = 0.009) and beta2 (p = 0.04) frequency bands in patients with PD. However, there were no differences in any frequency bands between patients with PD with DBS-OFF and DBS-ON. The clustering coefficient and local efficiency of patients with PD showed a significant decrease in the alpha, beta1, and beta2 frequency bands (p < 0.001). In addition, edgewise statistics showed a significant difference between the HC and patients with PD in all analyzed frequency bands (p < 0.005). However, there were no significant differences between the DBS-OFF state and DBS-ON state in the brain network, except for the functional connectivity in the beta2 frequency band (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Compared with HC, patients with PD showed the following characteristics: slowed EEG background activity, decreased clustering coefficient and local efficiency of the brain network, as well as both increased and decreased functional connectivity between different brain areas. Acute DBS induces a local response of the brain network in patients with PD, mainly showing decreased functional connectivity in a few brain regions in the beta2 frequency band.

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The effect of fatigue on brain connectivity networks

Brain Science Advances ◽

10.26599/bsa.2020.9050008 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 120-131

Author(s):

Shangen Zhang ◽

Jingnan Sun ◽

Xiaorong Gao

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Normal State ◽

Brain Connectivity ◽

Memory Task ◽

Visual Presentation ◽

Mental States ◽

Parietal Region ◽

Brain Response ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity ◽

The Brain

In the fatigue state, the neural response characteristics of the brain might be different from those in the normal state. Brain functional connectivity analysis is an effective tool for distinguishing between different brain states. For example, comparative studies on the brain functional connectivity have the potential to reveal the functional differences in different mental states. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between human mental states and brain control abilities by analyzing the effect of fatigue on the brain response connectivity. In particular, the phase‐scrambling method was used to generate images with two noise levels, while the N‐back working memory task was used to induce the fatigue state in subjects. The paradigm of rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) was used to present visual stimuli. The analysis of brain connections in the normal and fatigue states was conducted using the open‐source eConnectome toolbox. The results demonstrated that the control areas of neural responses were mainly distributed in the parietal region in both the normal and fatigue states. Compared to the normal state, the brain connectivity power in the parietal region was significantly weakened under the fatigue state, which indicates that the control ability of the brain is reduced in the fatigue state.

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Research on Management and Control of Miners’ Unsafe Behavior Based on Gray Theory

Shock and Vibration ◽

10.1155/2021/2344225 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Shuicheng Tian ◽

Guangtong Shao ◽

Hongxia Li ◽

Pengfei Yang ◽

Qingxin Dang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coal Mine ◽

Mine Safety ◽

Gray Relational Analysis ◽

Safety Level ◽

Labor Discipline ◽

Production Water ◽

Unsafe Behavior ◽

Safety Production ◽

Unsafe Behaviors ◽

And Control

A large number of accidents and scientific researches show that miners’ unsafe behavior affects coal mine safety production seriously. In order to effectively reduce the incidence of miners’ unsafe behavior, to improve their safety level, and reduce accidents caused by it, this paper used gray relational analysis method to analyze the miners’ unsafe behavior of W mine and quantitatively calculated the risk value of miners’ unsafe behavior. The results showed that the risk value of unsafe behavior in violation of labor discipline was 0.4358, which was much higher than that of other miners’ unsafe behaviors. Therefore, unsafe behavior in violation of labor discipline was determined as the key point of control in the next stage. Then, GM (1, 1) method was used to establish a predicted model for unsafe behavior, to predict the number of unsafe behaviors in violating labor discipline in next quarter, and to determine reasonable unsafe behavior control target. This study plays a driving role in controlling unsafe behaviors of miners and improving safe production water of coal mine.

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