The issue of objectivity and subjectivity in social research – Analytical sociological study –: مسألة الموضوعية والذاتية في البحوث الاجتماعية – دراسة سوسيولوجية تحليلية –

The aim of the research is to clarify the issue of subjectivity and objectivity in social research, and to what extent it is possible to achieve objectivity and distance from subjectivity as much as possible in social research, where the concept of subjectivity and objectivity was defined, and the views of some sociologists on this issue, as well as the call to reconcile them, also came this study To clarify the role of quantitative (objective) and qualitative (subjective) systematic integration in achieving accuracy and objectivity in the study of social phenomena, as we relied on the analytical sociological approach as an approach to analysis in the field of social studies, and the study reached the need to achieve objectivity and establish unity between objectivity and subjectivity in any study Social, as the study confirmed that objectivity is really a relative issue that cannot be achieved far from subjectivity in social research, as there is no objective science completely independent of any value perspective, and that the systematic integration between subjectivity and objectivity contributes to reaching accuracy in social research. The research also emphasized a set of recommendations, the most important of which are: the call to achieve subjectivity and objectivity and not to abolish subjectivity in the study of social phenomena, and to call researchers in the social sciences to achieve systematic integration between them.

Smart Water:A Prototype for Monitoring Water Consumption

The traditional metering system of water meters, through human readers, although still widely used by companies that provide water service, tends to become an increasingly unviable process over the years, due to urban growth. With the objective of finding a solution to this question, this paper presents the development of a prototype to monitor water consumption and an application that allows the end user to visualize his consumption. For the prototype, it was used the NodeMCU module, because of it being a low-cost device, along with a Wisol WSSFM10R2 Breakout module, which allows communication through the Sigfox network, considered an alternative network for IoT communications, using simple AT commands, besides the Sigfox company provide all the architecture for the developer. The present work also discusses about how the Sigfox hardware and network works, explaining the pulse conversion processes emitted by the flow and pressure sensors, as well as the use of the NodeMCU module for control and sending of messages through the Sigfox network. In general, the prototype obtained a satisfactory result in relation to the calculation of water consumption, reaching accuracy rates above 90% in tests that used the values returned by both sensors in constant flows and an average accuracy rate of around 99% for tests with varied flows, where it has been proven that the use of the pressure sensor optimizes the consumption calculation.

Genomic Epidemiology with Mixed Samples

Genomic epidemiology is an established tool for investigation of outbreaks of infectious diseases and wider public health applications. It traces transmission of pathogens based on whole-genome sequencing of colony picks from culture plates enriching the target organism(s). In this article, we introduce the mGEMS pipeline for performing genomic epidemiology directly with plate sweeps representing mixed samples of the target pathogen in a culture plate, skipping the colony pick step entirely. By requiring only a single culturing and library preparation step per analyzed sample, we address several key issues in the current approach relating to its cost, practical application and sensitivity. Our pipeline significantly improves upon the state-of-the-art in analysing mixed short-read sequencing data from bacteria, reaching accuracy levels in downstream analyses closely resembling colony pick sequencing data that allow reliable SNP calling and subsequent phylogenetic analyses. The fundamental novel parts enabling these analyses are the mGEMS read binner for probabilistic assignments of sequencing reads and the high-throughput exact pseudoaligner Themisto. In conjunction with recent advances in probabilistic modelling of mixed bacterial samples and genome assembly techniques, these tools form the mGEMS pipeline. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach using closely related samples in a nosocomial setting for the three major pathogens Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our results lend firm support to more widespread consideration of genomic epidemiology with mixed infection samples.

A Single Session of Robot-Controlled Proprioceptive Training Modulates Functional Connectivity of Sensory Motor Networks and Improves Reaching Accuracy in Chronic Stroke

Background. Passive robot-generated arm movements in conjunction with proprioceptive decision making and feedback modulate functional connectivity (FC) in sensory motor networks and improve sensorimotor adaptation in normal individuals. This proof-of-principle study investigates whether these effects can be observed in stroke patients. Methods. A total of 10 chronic stroke patients with a range of stable motor and sensory deficits (Fugl-Meyer Arm score [FMA] 0-65, Nottingham Sensory Assessment [NSA] 10-40) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging before and after a single session of robot-controlled proprioceptive training with feedback. Changes in FC were identified in each patient using independent component analysis as well as a seed region–based approach. FC changes were related to impairment and changes in task performance were assessed. Results. A single training session improved average arm reaching accuracy in 6 and proprioception in 8 patients. Two networks showing training-associated FC change were identified. Network C1 was present in all patients and network C2 only in patients with FM scores >7. Relatively larger C1 volume in the ipsilesional hemisphere was associated with less impairment ( r = 0.83 for NSA, r = 0.73 for FMA). This association was driven by specific regions in the contralesional hemisphere and their functional connections (supramarginal gyrus with FM scores r = 0.82, S1 with NSA scores r = 0.70, and cerebellum with NSA score r = −0.82). Conclusion. A single session of robot-controlled proprioceptive training with feedback improved movement accuracy and induced FC changes in sensory motor networks of chronic stroke patients. FC changes are related to functional impairment and comprise bilateral sensory and motor network nodes.

Effects of a compression garment on sensory feedback transmission in the human upper limb

Compression apparel is popular in both medical and sport performance settings. Perceived benefits are suggested to include changes in sensory feedback transmission caused by activation of mechanoreceptors. However, little is known about effects of compression apparel on sensorimotor control. Our purpose was to mechanistically examine whether compression apparel modulates sensory feedback transmission and reaching accuracy in the upper limb. Two experiments were completed under CONTROL and COMPRESSION (sleeve applied across the elbow joint) conditions. M-waves and H-reflexes were elicited by stimulating the median nerve and were recorded via surface electromyography (EMG). In experiment 1, H-reflexes and M-H recruitment curves were assessed at REST, during wrist flexion (10% EMGmax), and during a cutaneous conditioning of the superficial radial (SR) or distal median (MED) nerve. Cutaneous reflexes were elicited during 10% wrist flexion via stimulation of SR or MED. In experiment 2, unconditioned H-reflex measures were assessed at rest, during arm cycling, and during a discrete reaching task. Results indicate that compression apparel modulates spinal cord excitability across multiple sensory pathways and movement tasks. Interestingly, there was a significant improvement in reaching accuracy while wearing the compression sleeve. Taken together, the compression sleeve appears to increase precision and sensitivity around the joint where the sleeve is applied. Compression apparel may function as a “filter” of irrelevant mechanoreceptor information allowing for optimal task-related sensory information to enhance proprioception. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Wearing a customized compression sleeve was shown to alter the excitability of multiple pathways within the central nervous system regardless of conditioning input or movement task and was accompanied by improved accuracy of reaching movements and determination of movement end point. Compression apparel may assist as a type of “filter function” of tonic and nonspecific mechanoreceptor information leading to increased precision and movement sensitivity around the joint where compression is applied.

Control and Prediction Components of Movement Planning in Stuttering Versus Nonstuttering Adults

Purpose Stuttering individuals show speech and nonspeech sensorimotor deficiencies. To perform accurate movements, the sensorimotor system needs to generate appropriate control signals and correctly predict their sensory consequences. Using a reaching task, we examined the integrity of these control and prediction components separately for movements unrelated to the speech motor system. Method Nine stuttering and 9 nonstuttering adults made fast reaching movements to visual targets while sliding an object under the index finger. To quantify control, we determined initial direction error and end point error. To quantify prediction, we calculated the correlation between vertical and horizontal forces applied to the object—an index of how well vertical force (preventing slip) anticipated direction-dependent variations in horizontal force (moving the object). Results Directional and end point error were significantly larger for the stuttering group. Both groups performed similarly in scaling vertical force with horizontal force. Conclusions The stuttering group's reduced reaching accuracy suggests limitations in generating control signals for voluntary movements, even for nonorofacial effectors. Typical scaling of vertical force with horizontal force suggests an intact ability to predict the consequences of planned control signals. Stuttering may be associated with generalized deficiencies in planning control signals rather than predicting the consequences of those signals.

Proximal Versus Distal Control of Two-Joint Planar Reaching Movements in the Presence of Neuromuscular Noise

Determining how the human nervous system contends with neuro-motor noise is vital to understanding how humans achieve accurate goal-directed movements. Experimentally, people learning skilled tasks tend to reduce variability in distal joint movements more than in proximal joint movements. This suggests that they might be imposing greater control over distal joints than proximal joints. However, the reasons for this remain unclear, largely because it is not experimentally possible to directly manipulate either the noise or the control at each joint independently. Therefore, this study used a 2 degree-of-freedom torque driven arm model to determine how different combinations of noise and/or control independently applied at each joint affected the reaching accuracy and the total work required to make the movement. Signal-dependent noise was simultaneously and independently added to the shoulder and elbow torques to induce endpoint errors during planar reaching. Feedback control was then applied, independently and jointly, at each joint to reduce endpoint error due to the added neuromuscular noise. Movement direction and the inertia distribution along the arm were varied to quantify how these biomechanical variations affected the system performance. Endpoint error and total net work were computed as dependent measures. When each joint was independently subjected to noise in the absence of control, endpoint errors were more sensitive to distal (elbow) noise than to proximal (shoulder) noise for nearly all combinations of reaching direction and inertia ratio. The effects of distal noise on endpoint errors were more pronounced when inertia was distributed more toward the forearm. In contrast, the total net work decreased as mass was shifted to the upper arm for reaching movements in all directions. When noise was present at both joints and joint control was implemented, controlling the distal joint alone reduced endpoint errors more than controlling the proximal joint alone for nearly all combinations of reaching direction and inertia ratio. Applying control only at the distal joint was more effective at reducing endpoint errors when more of the mass was more proximally distributed. Likewise, controlling the distal joint alone required less total net work than controlling the proximal joint alone for nearly all combinations of reaching distance and inertia ratio. It is more efficient to reduce endpoint error and energetic cost by selectively applying control to reduce variability in the distal joint than the proximal joint. The reasons for this arise from the biomechanical configuration of the arm itself.