4 research outputs found
A study on the role of affective feedback in robot-assisted learning
In recent years, there have been many approaches to using robots to teach computer programming. In intelligent tutoring systems and computer-aided learning, there is also some research to show that affective feedback to the student increases learning efficiency. However, a few studies on the role of incorporating an emotional personality in the robot in robot-assisted learning have found different results. To explore this issue further, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the effect of positive verbal encouragement and non-verbal emotive behaviour of the Miro-E robot during a robot-assisted programming session. The participants were tasked to program the robot’s behaviour. In the experimental group, the robot monitored the participants’ emotional state via their facial expressions, and provided affective feedback to the participants after completing each task. In the control group, the robot responded in a neutral way. The participants filled out a questionnaire before and after the programming session. The results show a positive reaction of the participants to the robot and the exercise. Though the number of participants was small, as the experiment was conducted during the pandemic, a qualitative analysis of the data was carried out. We found that the greatest affective outcome of the session was for students who had little experience or interest in programming before. We also found that the affective expressions of the robot had a negative impact on its likeability, revealing vestiges of the uncanny valley effect
Selection of Effective HTRA3 Activators Using Combinatorial Chemistry
Herein, we report selection, synthesis,
and enzymatic evaluation
of a peptidomimetic library able to increase proteolytic activity
of HtrA3 (high temperature requirement A) protease. Iterative deconvolution
in solution of synthesized modified pentapeptides yielded two potent
HtrA3 activators acting in the micromolar range (HCOO-CH<sub>2</sub>O-C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>4</sub>-OCH<sub>2</sub>-CO-Tyr-Asn-Phe-His-Asn-OH
and HCOO-CH<sub>2</sub>O-C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>4</sub>-OCH<sub>2</sub>-CO-Tyr-Asn-Phe-His-Glu-OH). Both compounds increased proteolysis
of an artificial HtrA3 substrate over 40-fold in a selective manner.
On the basis of molecular modeling, the selected compounds bind strongly
to the PDZ domain