Mashirovka. Promoting motivation with virtual agents and avatars: role of visual presence and appearance. Amy L. Baylor1,2,3,* + Author Affiliations * abaylor@fsu.edu Abstract Anthropomorphic virtual agents can serve as powerful technological mediators to impact motivational outcomes such as self-efficacy and attitude change. Such anthropomorphic agents can be designed as simulated social models in the Bandurian sense, providing social influence as virtual ‘role models’. 1. Research indicates the effectiveness of human social models in influencing another to change behaviours, beliefs or attitudes, as well as social and cognitive functioning (e.g. The focus in this paper is on the motivational (e.g. self-efficacy beliefs, attitude, interest) and affective (e.g. feelings of connection, relief of frustration) changes that result from observing or socially interacting with anthropomorphic agents that are instantiated in the role of social models.
Further, there are several advantages to implementing anthropomorphic agents as social models. 2. (a) It must be seen, not only heard Figure 1. Figure 2. Phospholamban. Phospholamban, also known as PLN or PLB, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PLN gene.[1] Phospholamban is a 52-amino acid integral membrane protein that regulates the Ca2+ pump in cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle cells.[2] Function[edit] This protein is found as a pentamer and is a major substrate for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in cardiac muscle.
The protein is an inhibitor of cardiac muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca++-ATPase (SERCA) in the unphosphorylated state, but inhibition is relieved upon phosphorylation of the protein. The subsequent activation of the Ca++ pump leads to shorter intervals between contractions, thereby contributing to the lusitropic response elicited in heart by beta-agonists. The protein is a key regulator of cardiac diastolic function . Mutations in this gene are a cause of inherited human dilated cardiomyopathy with refractory congestive heart failure.[3] Clinical significance[edit] Discovery[edit] Interactions[edit] References[edit] Internet Catalogue. Virtual Education Journal | Leveraging Technology for Learning. Girls (Who Code) Rule The World. In a conference room on the ninth floor of the futuristic-looking IAC building on Manhattan's far West Side, a hive of teenage girls were buzzing in conversation recently.
But they weren't talking about fashion or Justin Bieber. Instead, if you listen in, you'd overhear snippets like this: "My interest is robotics--I'm curious how a stoplight or an ATM works," said Martha Ghose, a Bangladeshi girl from Manhattan, or, "I want to create new medical devices," said Sondos Alnajjar from Jordan.
These are Girls Who Code and their newest friends, the TechGirls. Girls Who Code is an eight-week summer enrichment and mentoring program for teenage girls interested in web design, robotics, and mobile development. The program was started in New York City and is happening in six cities this summer. Some of the TechGirls are wearing hijabs, while others are dressed more secularly. [Image: Flickr user United States Mission Geneva]