Opening food packages without additional aids is a common problem, which especially affects elder people. A study carried out at the Professorship of Human Factors and Ergonomics shows results of opening successes at a variety of packages. Opening a jar of gherkins proved to be a challenging task for the majority of the test persons. Further examples of badly designed packages as well as good solutions are introduced.

Background: The neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR1) and its ligand neuropeptide S (NPS) have received increased attention in the last few years, as both establish a previously unknown system of neuromodulation. Animal research studies have suggested that NPS may be involved in arousal/wakefulness and may also have a crucial role in sleep regulation. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs324981 in NPSR1 has begun to shed light on a function of the NPS-system in human sleep regulation. Due to an amino acid exchange, the T-allele leads to an increased sensitivity of the NPSR1. In the only genomewide association study to date on circadian sleep parameters in humans, an association was found between rs324981 and regular bedtime. However, the sleep parameters in this study were only measured by self-rating. Therefore, our study aimed to replicate these findings using an objective measure of sleep. Methods: The study included n = 393 white subjects (62–79 years) who participated in an actigraphic assessment for determining sleep duration, rest duration, sleep onset, rest onset and sleep onset latency. Genotyping of the SNP rs324981 was performed using the TaqMan OpenArray System. Results: The genotype at rs324981 was not significantly associated with rest onset (bedtime) or sleep onset (p = .146 and p = .199, respectively). However, the SNP showed a significant effect on sleep- and rest duration (p = .007 and p = .003, respectively). Subjects that were homozygous for the minor T-allele had a significantly decreased sleep- and rest duration compared to A-allele carriers. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the sleep pattern in humans is influenced by the NPS-system. However, the previously reported association between bedtime and rs324981 could not be confirmed. The current finding of decreased sleep duration in T/T allele carriers is in accordance with studies in rodents reporting similar results after NPS application.

Opening food packages without additional aids is a common problem, which especially affects elder people. A study carried out at the Professorship of Human Factors and Ergonomics shows results of opening successes at a variety of packages. Opening a jar of gherkins proved to be a challenging task for the majority of the test persons. Further examples of badly designed packages as well as good solutions are introduced.

Background: The neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR1) and its ligand neuropeptide S (NPS) have received increased attention in the last few years, as both establish a previously unknown system of neuromodulation. Animal research studies have suggested that NPS may be involved in arousal/wakefulness and may also have a crucial role in sleep regulation. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs324981 in NPSR1 has begun to shed light on a function of the NPS-system in human sleep regulation. Due to an amino acid exchange, the T-allele leads to an increased sensitivity of the NPSR1. In the only genomewide association study to date on circadian sleep parameters in humans, an association was found between rs324981 and regular bedtime. However, the sleep parameters in this study were only measured by self-rating. Therefore, our study aimed to replicate these findings using an objective measure of sleep. Methods: The study included n = 393 white subjects (62–79 years) who participated in an actigraphic assessment for determining sleep duration, rest duration, sleep onset, rest onset and sleep onset latency. Genotyping of the SNP rs324981 was performed using the TaqMan OpenArray System. Results: The genotype at rs324981 was not significantly associated with rest onset (bedtime) or sleep onset (p = .146 and p = .199, respectively). However, the SNP showed a significant effect on sleep- and rest duration (p = .007 and p = .003, respectively). Subjects that were homozygous for the minor T-allele had a significantly decreased sleep- and rest duration compared to A-allele carriers. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the sleep pattern in humans is influenced by the NPS-system. However, the previously reported association between bedtime and rs324981 could not be confirmed. The current finding of decreased sleep duration in T/T allele carriers is in accordance with studies in rodents reporting similar results after NPS application.:Background; Methods; Results; Conclusions

Zwischenmenschliches Vertrauen spielt in Beziehungen eine wichtige Rolle und beinhaltet die Erwartung, dass auf das Wort des Anderen Verlass ist (Rotter, 1967). Auch im Zusammenhang mit Automation und Mensch-Maschine-Systemen erlangt die Betrachtung von Vertrauen in den vergangenen Jahren immer größere Bedeutung. In den Bereichen automatisierte Fahrzeugsteuerung oder militärische Freund-Feind-Erkennung wurde bereits eine Vielzahl von Erhebungen durchgeführt. Einen Forschungsgegenstand, der bislang jedoch weitestgehend unbeachtet geblieben ist, stellen Heim-Automatisierungen und Unterstützungstechnologien für ältere Personen dar. Die vorliegende Dissertation möchte einen Anstoß für die Forschungsaktivitäten im Kontext von Vertrauen in Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Systeme geben und gleichzeitig die Möglichkeiten von Unterstützungs-technologien (für beeinträchtigte Personen) im Wohnumfeld aufzeigen. Im Fokus der Untersuchung steht dabei das Vertrauen älterer Personen, als potentielle Endnutzer, in AAL Systeme. Nach Durchführung der Literaturanalyse, wurden mittels einer Fragebogenstudie zunächst verschiedene Einflussfaktoren auf das Vertrauen in AAL sowie die Nutzungsabsicht der senioren Zielgruppe erforscht. Unter Einbeziehung der Variablen des Technology Acceptance Modells (TAM) (Davis, 1989) werden Personen mit und ohne täglichem Unterstützungsbedarf befragt. Basierend auf den dadurch gewonnenen Erkenntnissen wurden zwei Experimente durchgeführt. Die Probanden der beiden Experimente, die jeweils eine seniore Testgruppe und eine junge Kontrollgruppe umfassten, sollten mittels eines Mock-Ups auf einem Tablet-Computer verschiedene Aufgaben im Wohnumfeld bearbeiten. Im ersten Experiment wurde zusätzlich zu der Standard-Bedienoberfläche der AAL Technologie, entweder persönliche Unterstützung via Operateur oder eine technische Unterstützung zur Verfügung gestellt. Das zweite Experiment untersuchte drei unterschiedliche Stufen von Zuverlässigkeit einer AAL Applikation. / Interpersonal trust as “expectancy that the verbal statements of others can be relied upon” (Rotter, 1967; p. 651) plays an important role in human relationships. But even in the context of automation and man-machine systems, the consideration of trust has acquired even greater importance in recent years. In the field of automated vehicle control systems or military friend-or-foe recognition, a large number of surveys relating to trust have been conducted. An area of research that, to date, has not been well-investigated is home automation, such as smart home and assistive technologies for older people. The present thesis aims to initiate such research activities in the context of trust in Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) systems, as well as to demonstrate the opportunities that assistive technologies present for impaired persons in the living environment. The focus of the present survey is on the trust of older people, as potential end-users, in AAL systems. To establish an understanding of the state of this research field, a literature review has been conducted. Subsequently, the various factors influencing trust in AAL and usage intention of the elderly target group are examined via a written questionnaire study. Taking into account the variables of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989), persons with and without need for daily support are interviewed. Based on the obtained results, two subsequent experiments were carried out. The participants in the two experiments, each including a senior test group and a young control group, worked on various tasks through a mock-up on a tablet-computer in the living environment. In the first experiment, in addition to the standard user interface of the AAL technology, either personal support via operator or a technical embedded support was provided to test the differential impact on the trust of the participants in AAL. The second experiment included three different levels of reliability of an AAL application.