| 1. |
- Andrei, Constantin Octavian, et al.
(author)
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Galileo l10 satellites: Orbit, clock and signal-in-space performance analysis
- 2021
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In: Sensors. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-8220. ; 21:5, s. 1-20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The tenth launch (L10) of the European Global Navigation Satellite System Galileo filled in all orbital slots in the constellation. The launch carried four Galileo satellites and took place in July 2018. The satellites were declared operational in February 2019. In this study, we report on the performance of the Galileo L10 satellites in terms of orbital inclination and repeat period parameters, broadcast satellite clocks and signal in space (SiS) performance indicators. We used all available broadcast navigation data from the IGS consolidated navigation files. These satellites have not been reported in the previous studies. First, the orbital inclination (56.7 ± 0.15°) and repeat period (50680.7 ± 0.22 s) for all four satellites are within the nominal values. The data analysis reveals also 13.5-, 27-, 177-and 354-days periodic signals. Second, the broadcast satellite clocks show different correction magnitude due to different trends in the bias component. One clock switch and several other minor correction jumps have occurred since the satellites were declared operational. Short-term discontinuities are within ±1 ps/s, whereas clock accuracy values are constantly below 0.20 m (root-mean-square—rms). Finally, the SiS performance has been very high in terms of availability and accuracy. Monthly SiS availability has been constantly above the target value of 87% and much higher in 2020 as compared to 2019. Monthly SiS accuracy has been below 0.20 m (95th percentile) and below 0.40 m (99th percentile). The performance figures depend on the content and quality of the consolidated navigation files as well as the precise reference products. Nevertheless, these levels of accuracy are well below the 7 m threshold (95th percentile) specified in the Galileo service definition document.
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| 2. |
- Andrei, Constantin-Octavian, et al.
(author)
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GPS Time Series Analysis from Aboa the Finnish Antarctic Research Station
- 2018
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In: Remote Sensing. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-4292. ; 10:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) observations have been logged at the Finnish Antarctic research station (Aboa) since February 2003. The station is located in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. Almost 5000 daily observation files have been archived based on yearly scientific expeditions. These files have not been fully analysed until now. This study reports for the first time on the consistent and homogeneous data processing and analysis of the 15-year long time series. Daily coordinates are obtained using Precise Point Positioning (PPP) processing based on two approaches. The first approach is based on the Kalman filter and uses the RTKLIB open source library to produce daily solutions by unconventionally running the filter in the forward and backward direction. The second approach uses APPS web service and is based on GIPSY scientific processing engine. The two approaches show an excellent agreement with less than 3 mm rms error horizontally and 6 mm rms error vertically. The derived position time series is analysed in terms of trend, periodicity and noise characteristics. The noise of the time series was found to be power-law noise model with spectral index closer to flicker noise. In addition, several periodic signals were found at 5, 14, 183 and 362 days. Furthermore, most of the horizontal movement was found to be in the North direction at a rate of 11.23 +/- 0.09 mm/y, whereas the rate in the East direction was estimated to be 1.46 +/- 0.05 mm/y. Lastly, the 15-year long time series revealed a movement upwards at a rate of 0.79 +/- 0.35 mm/y. Despite being an unattended station, Aboa provides one of the most continuous and longest GPS time series in Antarctica. Therefore, we believe that this research increases the awareness of local geophysical phenomena in a less reported area of the Antarctic continent.
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| 3. |
- Andrei, Constantin Octavian, et al.
(author)
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Signal performance analysis of the latest quartet of Galileo satellites during the first operational year
- 2020
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In: 2020 International Conference on Localization and GNSS, ICL-GNSS 2020 - Proceedings.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- On 12 February 2020, the latest four Galileo satellites had completed one full year of space operational service. The satellites were launched on 25 July 2018. The quartet increased the operational capacity of the Galileo constellation to 22 satellites. This study reports on three signal-in-space (SiS) performance indicators - status, availability, and ranging accuracy - from 11 February 2019 to 12 February 2020. In addition, the study looks also at how the on-board satellite clocks have performed. The data analysis shows 100% data validity and signal health status for three our of the four satellites, whereas NAPA (No Accuracy Prediction Available) events accounted for about 2% of the time. In addition, SiS availability was higher than 95% in the first operational year. Furthermore, the 95th percentile of the global average of the instantaneous signal in space error is found to vary between 0.17 to 0.33 m on monthly basis. Lastly, the precise satellite clock biases show high short-term performance with 0.1 ps/s (10-13 s/s) standard deviations during the first operational year. The numerical results indicate a robust performance and high reliability for the youngest Galileo satellites in the constellation. They increase the number of operational satellites in the constellation and thus contribute to the Galileo's increased popularity in the satellite-based positioning and navigation user community.
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| 4. |
- Brader, Lea, et al.
(author)
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Effects of a healthy Nordic diet on plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration in subjects with metabolic syndrome: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial (SYSDIET)
- 2014
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In: European Journal of Nutrition. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1436-6215 .- 1436-6207. ; 53:4, s. 1123-1134
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- At northern latitudes, vitamin D is not synthesized endogenously during winter, causing low plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of a healthy Nordic diet based on Nordic nutrition recommendations (NNR) on plasma 25(OH)D and explored its dietary predictors. In a Nordic multi-centre trial, subjects (n = 213) with metabolic syndrome were randomized to a control or a healthy Nordic diet favouring fish (a parts per thousand yen300 g/week, including a parts per thousand yen200 g/week fatty fish), whole-grain products, berries, fruits, vegetables, rapeseed oil and low-fat dairy products. Plasma 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone were analysed before and after 18- to 24-week intervention. At baseline, 45 % had vitamin D inadequacy (< 50 nmol/l), whereas 8 % had deficiency (< 25 nmol/l). Dietary vitamin D intake was increased by the healthy Nordic diet (P < 0.001). The healthy Nordic and the control diet reduced the prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy by 42 % (P < 0.001) and 19 % (P = 0.002), respectively, without between-group difference (P = 0.142). Compared with control, plasma 25(OH)D (P = 0.208) and parathyroid hormone (P = 0.207) were not altered by the healthy Nordic diet. Predictors for 25(OH)D were intake of vitamin D, eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA), docosahexaenoic acids (DHA), vitamin D supplement, plasma EPA and plasma DHA. Nevertheless, only vitamin D intake and season predicted the 25(OH)D changes. Consuming a healthy Nordic diet based on NNR increased vitamin D intake but not plasma 25(OH)D concentration. The reason why fish consumption did not improve vitamin D status might be that many fish are farmed and might contain little vitamin D or that frying fish may result in vitamin D extraction. Additional ways to improve vitamin D status in Nordic countries may be needed.
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| 5. |
- Gruber, Thomas, et al.
(author)
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Geodetic SAR for Baltic Height System Unification and Baltic Sea Level Research
- 2021
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Reports (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Traditionally, sea level is observed at tide gauge stations, which usually also serve as height reference stations for national levelling networks and therefore define a height system of a country. Thus, sea level research across countries is closely linked to height system unification and needs to be regarded jointly. The project aims to make use of a new observation technique, namely SAR positioning, which can help to connect the GNSS basic network of a country to tide gauge stations and as such to link the sea level records of tide gauge stations to the geometric network. By knowing the geoid heights at the tide gauge stations in a global height reference frame with high precision, one can finally obtain absolute sea level heights of the tide gauge stations in a common reference system and can link them together. By this method, on the one hand national height systems can be connected and on the other hand the absolute sea level at the tide gauge stations can be determined. By analysing time series of absolute sea level heights their changes can be determined in an absolute sense in a global reference frame and the impact of climate change on sea level can be quantified (e.g. by ice sheet and glacier melting, water inflow, global warming). The major scientific challenges to be addressed by this project then can be summarized as follows: (1) Connection of the tide gauge markers with the GNSS network geometrically in order to determine the relative vertical motion and to correct the tide gauge readings. For this the new technique of SAR positioning is applied. (2) Determination of a GOCE based high resolution geoid at tide gauge stations in order to deliver absolute heights of tide gauges with respect to a global equipotential surface as reference. (3) Joint analysis of geometrical and physical reference frames to make them compatible, and to determine corrections to be applied for combined analysis of geometric and physical heights.
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| 6. |
- Gruber, Thomas, et al.
(author)
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Geodetic SAR for Height System Unification and Sea Level Research - Observation Concept and Preliminary Results in the Baltic Sea
- 2020
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In: Remote Sensing. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-4292. ; 12:22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Traditionally, sea level is observed at tide gauge stations, which usually also serve as height reference stations for national leveling networks and therefore define a height system of a country. One of the main deficiencies to use tide gauge data for geodetic sea level research and height systems unification is that only a few stations are connected to the geometric network of a country by operating permanent GNSS receivers next to the tide gauge. As a new observation technique, absolute positioning by SAR using active transponders on ground can fill this gap by systematically observing time series of geometric heights at tide gauge stations. By additionally knowing the tide gauge geoid heights in a global height reference frame, one can finally obtain absolute sea level heights at each tide gauge. With this information the impact of climate change on the sea level can be quantified in an absolute manner and height systems can be connected across the oceans. First results from applying this technique at selected tide gauges at the Baltic coasts are promising but also exhibit some problems related to the new technique. The paper presents the concept of using the new observation type in an integrated sea level observing system and provides some early results for SAR positioning in the Baltic sea area.
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| 7. |
- Gruber, Thomas, et al.
(author)
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Geodetic SAR for Height System Unification and Sea Level Research - Observation Concept and Results in the Baltic Sea
- 2022
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Traditionally, sea level is observed at tide gauge stations, which usually also serve as height reference stations for national leveling networks and therefore define a height system of a country. Thus, sea level research across countries is closely linked to height system unification and needs to be regarded jointly. One of the main deficiencies to use tide gauge data for geodetic sea level research and height systems unification is that only a few stations are connected to permanent GNSS receivers next to the tide gauge in order to systematically observe vertical land motion. As a new observation technique, absolute positioning by SAR using active transponders on ground can fill this gap by systematically observing time series of geometric heights at tide gauge stations. By additionally knowing the tide gauge geoid heights in a global height reference frame, one can finally obtain absolute sea level heights at each tide gauge. With this information the impact of climate change on the sea level can be quantified in an absolute manner and height systems can be connected across the oceans.The paper presents the results of a project, which was conducted in the years 2019 to 2021 in the frame of ESA´s Baltic+ initiative. Within this project a test network of electronic corner reflectors (ECR) as targets for Sentinel-1 was realized in the Baltic Sea area. The ECR locations were either co-located with tide gauges or with permanent GNSS stations in order to observe systematically the ellipsoidal heights of the tide gauges and possibly also any vertical land motion at the stations. Data for the year 2020 were collected at 10 stations in Estonia, Finland, Poland and Sweden and jointly analyzed with GNSS data, tide gauge records and regional geoid height estimates. The obtained results are promising, but also exhibit some problems related to the ECR´s and their performance. At co-located GNSS stations the estimated ellipsoidal heights agree in a range between about 2 and 50 cm between both observation systems. From the results it could be identified that most likely variable systematic electronic instrument delays of the ECR´s are the main reason for these differences and that each instrument needs to be calibrated individually. Nevertheless, the project provides a valuable data set, which offers the possibility to enhance methods and procedures in order to develop the geodetic SAR positioning technique towards operability. All data and reports are accessible at the following web site: https://www.asg.ed.tum.de/iapg/baltic/
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| 8. |
- Gruber, Thomas, et al.
(author)
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Geodetic SAR for Height System Unification and Sea Level Research - Results in the Baltic Sea Test Network
- 2022
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In: Remote Sensing. - : MDPI. - 2072-4292. ; 14:14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Coastal sea level is observed at tide gauge stations, which usually also serve as height reference stations for national networks. One of the main issues with using tide gauge data for sea level research is that only a few stations are connected to permanent GNSS stations needed to correct for vertical land motion. As a new observation technique, absolute positioning by SAR using off the shelf active radar transponders can be installed instead. SAR data for the year 2020 are collected at 12 stations in the Baltic Sea area, which are co-located to tide gauges or permanent GNSS stations. From the SAR data, 3D coordinates are estimated and jointly analyzed with GNSS data, tide gauge records and regional geoid height estimates. The obtained results are promising but also exhibit some problems related to the electronic transponders and their performance. At co-located GNSS stations, the estimated ellipsoidal heights agree in a range between about 2 and 50 cm for both observation systems. From the results, it can be identified that, most likely, variable systematic electronic instrument delays are the main reason, and that each transponder instrument needs to be calibrated individually. Nevertheless, the project provides a valuable data set, which offers the possibility of enhancing methods and procedures in order to develop a geodetic SAR positioning technique towards operability.
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| 9. |
- Gürdeniz, Gözde, et al.
(author)
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Analysis of the SYSDIET Healthy Nordic Diet randomized trial based on metabolic profiling reveal beneficial effects on glucose metabolism and blood lipids
- 2021
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In: Clinical Nutrition. - : Elsevier. - 0261-5614 .- 1532-1983. ; 41:2, s. 441-451
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: Intake assessment in multicenter trials is challenging, yet important for accurate outcome evaluation. The present study aimed to characterize a multicenter randomized controlled trial with a healthy Nordic diet (HND) compared to a Control diet (CD) by plasma and urine metabolic profiles and to associate them with cardiometabolic markers.METHODS: During 18-24 weeks of intervention, 200 participants with metabolic syndrome were advised at six centres to eat either HND (e.g. whole-grain products, berries, rapeseed oil, fish and low-fat dairy) or CD while being weight stable. Of these 166/159 completers delivered blood/urine samples. Metabolic profiles of fasting plasma and 24 h pooled urine were analysed to identify characteristic diet-related patterns. Principal components analysis (PCA) scores (i.e. PC1 and PC2 scores) were used to test their combined effect on blood glucose response (primary endpoint), serum lipoproteins, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers.RESULTS: The profiles distinguished HND and CD with AUC of 0.96 ± 0.03 and 0.93 ± 0.02 for plasma and urine, respectively, with limited heterogeneity between centers, reflecting markers of key foods. Markers of fish, whole grain and polyunsaturated lipids characterized HND, while CD was reflected by lipids containing palmitoleic acid. The PC1 scores of plasma metabolites characterizing the intervention is associated with HDL (β = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.08; P = 0.001) and triglycerides (β = -0.06; 95% CI: -0.09, -0.03; P < 0.001). PC2 scores were related with glucose metabolism (2 h Glucose, β = 0.1; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.15; P < 0.001), LDL (β = 0.06; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.1; P = 0.02) and triglycerides (β = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.15; P < 0.001). For urine, the scores were related with LDL cholesterol.CONCLUSIONS: Plasma and urine metabolite profiles from SYSDIET reflected good compliance with dietary recommendations across the region. The scores of metabolites characterizing the diets associated with outcomes related with cardio-metabolic risk. Our analysis therefore offers a novel way to approach a per protocol analysis with a balanced compliance assessment in larger multicentre dietary trials. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov with NCT00992641.
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| 10. |
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