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Prof. Simon Bell
Estonian University of Life Sciences

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0 Landscape Architecture
0 Outdoor Recreation
0 landscape and well-being
0 forest design
0 blue infrastructure

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Commentary
Published: 24 August 2021 in Land
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The interface between ecology and esthetics does not only exist but is often vaster than thought at first sight. The implications of one for the other are diverse and often subtle, but both dimensions share a link that is as elusive as it is significant because of its influence on human behavior and on the landscape itself. Therefore, it is increasingly viewed as one of the aspects in the complex human–nature reality that should receive serious consideration to better manage the landscape. However, this relationship can be approached in different ways, and each of these perspectives will shape certain outcomes and different ways of intervening in the landscape. This article presents a generic framework of the models of analysis and intervention in the landscape from the point of view of how they address the ecological and esthetic component, with the aim of defining the limits in which each one moves, the differentiating nuances, and the repercussions they can have on the landscape. Likewise, the strategy that would best incorporate a more effective and meaningful relationship between ecology and esthetics in landscape planning is suggested.

ACS Style

Alicia López-Rodríguez; Ana-Belén Berrocal Menárguez; Rafael Escribano Bombín; Simon Bell. Ecology and Esthetics, Esthetic Ecology and the Ecological Esthetic in the Landscape: Contributions to the Apparent TongueTwister. Land 2021, 10, 887 .

AMA Style

Alicia López-Rodríguez, Ana-Belén Berrocal Menárguez, Rafael Escribano Bombín, Simon Bell. Ecology and Esthetics, Esthetic Ecology and the Ecological Esthetic in the Landscape: Contributions to the Apparent TongueTwister. Land. 2021; 10 (9):887.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alicia López-Rodríguez; Ana-Belén Berrocal Menárguez; Rafael Escribano Bombín; Simon Bell. 2021. "Ecology and Esthetics, Esthetic Ecology and the Ecological Esthetic in the Landscape: Contributions to the Apparent TongueTwister." Land 10, no. 9: 887.

Journal article
Published: 13 February 2021 in Sustainability
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This study involved four parks in Iran—two modern ones located in Tehran and two historical, traditional examples, one in Kashan and one in Esfahan—in order to ask what are the key factors contributing to the satisfaction of visitors to the two types of park and also to compare user’s perceptions and values of the different types. An extensive questionnaire survey was conducted in each park, with a target of 300 responses, using a random sampling technique. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of a number of factors, while thinking about the park they were visiting, using a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was undertaken. The results of the scores revealed differences between the two types of park. A factor analysis of the pooled results revealed that the key aspects contributing to a visit were named as ‘having fun and enjoying oneself’, in a place with ‘no barriers to using the park’ and ‘leaving one’s cares behind’ followed by ‘relaxing in the presence of natural beauty’. A further Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling analysis was undertaken to determine the main factors affecting the differences in preference for each type of park in relation to the key demographic variables. This revealed that the modern parks were preferred over the traditional ones for three significant sets of factors—recreation, accessibility and culture—and that there was a tendency for the historical parks to been favoured by more educated people. The conclusions are that the modern parks support the main preferred activities to support the quality of life of the population—not through their design per se but because they offer many more recreational opportunities. There is potential to include traditional elements such as water features more into parks. Park planners can take the findings and use them to help improve the quality of the parks over time.

ACS Style

Fariba Bahriny; Simon Bell. Traditional versus Modern? Perceptions and Preferences of Urban Park Users in Iran. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2036 .

AMA Style

Fariba Bahriny, Simon Bell. Traditional versus Modern? Perceptions and Preferences of Urban Park Users in Iran. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):2036.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fariba Bahriny; Simon Bell. 2021. "Traditional versus Modern? Perceptions and Preferences of Urban Park Users in Iran." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 2036.

Journal article
Published: 10 February 2021 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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The perception of the quality of green and blue spaces can be key in the relationship between a community and its local landscape (i.e., place identification). The lack of transdisciplinary training and social-specific education of landscape architects regarding the complexity of landscape as a participative cultural artefact limits reaching the general population. Bridging this gap of landscape and place identification and evaluation by a local community was the main objective of the present case study conducted at an abandoned spring and seasonal stream area in Rubí (Spain). The “Steinitz method” of landscape evaluation was used as a participatory method to activate community members to learn about and express their visual preferences regarding this neglected landscape. Bottom-up interventions applying an “urban acupuncture” approach in the area identified as the least attractive by the residents were co-designed and combined with a top-down restoration of a nearby, existing but derelict and hidden, spring. In addition, before and after planning and implementing the intervention, we conducted surveys about the community perception, sense of belonging and use of the space. We observed that the lack of awareness of the inhabitants about this spring was an obstacle preventing the community from embracing the potential for health and wellbeing presented by the spring and adjacent landscape. Following the work, the landscape saw increasing use, and the historic spring was brought back to life as a resource to help people to improve their health and wellbeing.

ACS Style

Marina Cervera; Simon Bell; Francesc Muñoz; Himansu Mishra; Lora Fleming; James Grellier; Glòria Carrasco-Turigas; Mark Nieuwenhuijsen; Cristina Vert; Mireia Gascon. A Transdisciplinary Approach to Recovering Natural and Cultural Landscape and Place Identification: A Case Study of Can Moritz Spring (Rubí, Spain). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 .

AMA Style

Marina Cervera, Simon Bell, Francesc Muñoz, Himansu Mishra, Lora Fleming, James Grellier, Glòria Carrasco-Turigas, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Cristina Vert, Mireia Gascon. A Transdisciplinary Approach to Recovering Natural and Cultural Landscape and Place Identification: A Case Study of Can Moritz Spring (Rubí, Spain). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18 (4):1709.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marina Cervera; Simon Bell; Francesc Muñoz; Himansu Mishra; Lora Fleming; James Grellier; Glòria Carrasco-Turigas; Mark Nieuwenhuijsen; Cristina Vert; Mireia Gascon. 2021. "A Transdisciplinary Approach to Recovering Natural and Cultural Landscape and Place Identification: A Case Study of Can Moritz Spring (Rubí, Spain)." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 4: 1709.

Journal article
Published: 19 January 2021 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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Recent studies indicate the accepted concept of using land-use mix (LUM) to promote physical activity is ineffective and even counteractive in the Chinese context. Before considering LUM as a whole, different amenity types need to be respectively analyzed in relation to various functions and demands. This study aims to examine the specific associations between food-related amenities and perceived daily walking duration (WD) in small Chinese cities. Two interviewer-administered questionnaire surveys (n = 354) were conducted in Yuncheng and Suihua between 2017 and 2018. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations of WD with seven different categories of food outlet at three levels of walking distance. The associations were further explored by food environment diversity and through two age groups. With the exception of café/tea house, the other six food outlets were positively associated with WD. After adjusting for socioeconomic variables, the associations of grocery store and supermarket weakened. Higher levels of food environment diversity were associated with a longer WD. Among the age groups, food outlets were more associated with older adults’ WD. This novel quantitative study suggests that increasing the number and heterogeneity of food-related amenities (including mobile street vendors) within a neighborhood can enhance physical activity in small Chinese cities.

ACS Style

Ziwen Sun; Iain Scott; Simon Bell; Xiaomeng Zhang; Lan Wang. Time Distances to Residential Food Amenities and Daily Walking Duration: A Cross-Sectional Study in Two Low Tier Chinese Cities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18, 839 .

AMA Style

Ziwen Sun, Iain Scott, Simon Bell, Xiaomeng Zhang, Lan Wang. Time Distances to Residential Food Amenities and Daily Walking Duration: A Cross-Sectional Study in Two Low Tier Chinese Cities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18 (2):839.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ziwen Sun; Iain Scott; Simon Bell; Xiaomeng Zhang; Lan Wang. 2021. "Time Distances to Residential Food Amenities and Daily Walking Duration: A Cross-Sectional Study in Two Low Tier Chinese Cities." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 2: 839.

Review
Published: 11 January 2021 in Biomedicines
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide and is characterised pathologically by the accumulation of amyloid beta and tau protein aggregates. Currently, there are no approved disease modifying therapies for clearance of either of these proteins from the brain of people with AD. As well as abnormalities in protein aggregation, other pathological changes are seen in this condition. The function of mitochondria in both the nervous system and rest of the body is altered early in this disease, and both amyloid and tau have detrimental effects on mitochondrial function. In this review article, we describe how the function and structure of mitochondria change in AD. This review summarises current imaging techniques that use surrogate markers of mitochondrial function in both research and clinical practice, but also how mitochondrial functions such as ATP production, calcium homeostasis, mitophagy and reactive oxygen species production are affected in AD mitochondria. The evidence reviewed suggests that the measurement of mitochondrial function may be developed into a future biomarker for early AD. Further work with larger cohorts of patients is needed before mitochondrial functional biomarkers are ready for clinical use.

ACS Style

Simon M. Bell; Katy Barnes; Matteo De Marco; Pamela J. Shaw; Laura Ferraiuolo; Daniel J. Blackburn; Annalena Venneri; Heather Mortiboys. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Biomarker of the Future? Biomedicines 2021, 9, 63 .

AMA Style

Simon M. Bell, Katy Barnes, Matteo De Marco, Pamela J. Shaw, Laura Ferraiuolo, Daniel J. Blackburn, Annalena Venneri, Heather Mortiboys. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Biomarker of the Future? Biomedicines. 2021; 9 (1):63.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simon M. Bell; Katy Barnes; Matteo De Marco; Pamela J. Shaw; Laura Ferraiuolo; Daniel J. Blackburn; Annalena Venneri; Heather Mortiboys. 2021. "Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Biomarker of the Future?" Biomedicines 9, no. 1: 63.

Journal article
Published: 20 December 2020 in Sustainability
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Within the BlueHealth project, funded under the Horizon 2020 European Union research framework, a number of targeted experimental design interventions created in virtual reality (VR) were used to test the effect and impact of planning and design on encouraging people to use various blue spaces. A set of designs in three different coastal landscape types—a cliff/steep slope; a sandy beach and an area of reed beds—located in Tallinn, Estonia, were used as the sites for nine different intervention designs. The designs were based on a combination of the site features and inspirations from solutions found in different locations internationally. Using 3D modelling and a Virtual Reality system, a set of nine videos, one to depict each intervention, was created and shown to a quota sample of 252 Estonian residents. Respondents were asked a set of questions associated with each option. The results were analysed statistically and qualitatively. The results uncovered key preferences for designs and revealed differences among age groups and the levels of personal interconnection with nature. However, there were problems associated with the interpretation and understanding of some of the options by some of the people due to the degree of realism of the VR representations, which may have affected the results. The project shows that VR could be a useful tool for testing design ideas as part of public participation approaches but that care is needed in ensuring that viewers understand what they are assessing.

ACS Style

Peeter Vassiljev; Simon Bell; Jekaterina Balicka; Umme Amrita. Urban Blue Acupuncture: An Experiment on Preferences for Design Options Using Virtual Models. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10656 .

AMA Style

Peeter Vassiljev, Simon Bell, Jekaterina Balicka, Umme Amrita. Urban Blue Acupuncture: An Experiment on Preferences for Design Options Using Virtual Models. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10656.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Peeter Vassiljev; Simon Bell; Jekaterina Balicka; Umme Amrita. 2020. "Urban Blue Acupuncture: An Experiment on Preferences for Design Options Using Virtual Models." Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10656.

Clinical manifestations
Published: 07 December 2020 in Alzheimer's & Dementia
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Background In clinical settings, AD is defined by characteristic deficits in neuropsychological testing supported by amyloid and tau biomarkers and neuroimaging abnormalities. The biological cause of neuropsychological changes is not established. Tau deposition correlates with, but does not fully account for all observed neuropsychological impairments. We have shown mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity (MRSC) is lowered in AD patient fibroblasts. This study investigates if fibroblast mitochondrial functional abnormalities correlate with neuropsychological/neuroimaging changes in AD. Method 10 AD patient and 10 control fibroblast samples were taken via skin biopsy. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and extracellular lactate were measured using luminescent and fluorescent protocols respectively. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was measured using tetramethylrhodamine dye. Mitochondrial respiration and glycolytic function were measured using a Seahorse XF Analyzer. In‐depth Neuropsychological profiling, and brain structural MRIs were undertaken on all participants. Correlations were performed between MMP, MRSC and neuropsychological/MRI AD markers. Result Reductions in delayed (p<0.0001) and immediate recall (p<0.0001), semantic fluency (p<0.0001), phonemic fluency (p=0.0033) and MMSE (p=0.0009) scores were seen in AD patients. After controlling for age, education and brain reserve; left hippocampal (p=0.001), left parietal (p=0.002), right parietal (p=0.001) and anterior medial prefrontal cortical (p=0.017) gray matter volumes were reduced in AD patients. Fibroblast metabolic markers showed a reduction in MMP (p=0.001), MRSC (p<0.0001), glycolytic reserve(p=0.05), and extracellular lactate (p<0.05) in AD patients. MRSC and MMP correlated significantly with immediate recall ([MRSC, p=0.0041],[MMP, p=0.0115]), delayed recall ([MRSC, p=0.0013],[MMP, p=0.0138]) and semantic memory ([MRSC, p=0.0039],[MMP, p=0.009]) tests. The correlations between MRSC and neuropsychological measures remained after controlling for age, education and brain reserve. No correlations were seen between grey matter volumes and fibroblast metabolism. Conclusion This study highlights how in‐depth metabolic analysis of sporadic AD fibroblasts identifies functional abnormalities that correlate with neuropsychological features distinctive to AD. This work may also explain how some of the fundamental biological processes that are affected in Alzheimer’s disease may contribute to the neuropsychological profiles that define the condition.

ACS Style

Simon M. Bell; Matteo De Marco; Katy Barnes; Pamela Shaw; Laura Ferraiuolo; Daniel J. Blackburn; Heather Mortiboys; Annalena Venneri. Do deficits in mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity contribute to neuropsychological changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease? Alzheimer's & Dementia 2020, 16, 1 .

AMA Style

Simon M. Bell, Matteo De Marco, Katy Barnes, Pamela Shaw, Laura Ferraiuolo, Daniel J. Blackburn, Heather Mortiboys, Annalena Venneri. Do deficits in mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity contribute to neuropsychological changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease? Alzheimer's & Dementia. 2020; 16 (S6):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simon M. Bell; Matteo De Marco; Katy Barnes; Pamela Shaw; Laura Ferraiuolo; Daniel J. Blackburn; Heather Mortiboys; Annalena Venneri. 2020. "Do deficits in mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity contribute to neuropsychological changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease?" Alzheimer's & Dementia 16, no. S6: 1.

Review
Published: 24 November 2020 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of nervous system conditions characterised pathologically by the abnormal deposition of protein throughout the brain and spinal cord. One common pathophysiological change seen in all neurodegenerative disease is a change to the metabolic function of nervous system and peripheral cells. Glycolysis is the conversion of glucose to pyruvate or lactate which results in the generation of ATP and has been shown to be abnormal in peripheral cells in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Changes to the glycolytic pathway are seen early in neurodegenerative disease and highlight how in multiple neurodegenerative conditions pathology is not always confined to the nervous system. In this paper, we review the abnormalities described in glycolysis in the three most common neurodegenerative diseases. We show that in all three diseases glycolytic changes are seen in fibroblasts, and red blood cells, and that liver, kidney, muscle and white blood cells have abnormal glycolysis in certain diseases. We highlight there is potential for peripheral glycolysis to be developed into multiple types of disease biomarker, but large-scale bio sampling and deciphering how glycolysis is inherently altered in neurodegenerative disease in multiple patients’ needs to be accomplished first to meet this aim.

ACS Style

Simon M. Bell; Toby Burgess; James Lee; Daniel J. Blackburn; Scott P. Allen; Heather Mortiboys. Peripheral Glycolysis in Neurodegenerative Diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020, 21, 8924 .

AMA Style

Simon M. Bell, Toby Burgess, James Lee, Daniel J. Blackburn, Scott P. Allen, Heather Mortiboys. Peripheral Glycolysis in Neurodegenerative Diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020; 21 (23):8924.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simon M. Bell; Toby Burgess; James Lee; Daniel J. Blackburn; Scott P. Allen; Heather Mortiboys. 2020. "Peripheral Glycolysis in Neurodegenerative Diseases." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21, no. 23: 8924.

Journal article
Published: 02 August 2020 in Land
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Estonian and Latvian rural inhabitants enjoy many factors enhancing the quality of life, such as the peace and quiet of the countryside, fresh food and rural activities. However, these benefits are insufficient to overcome poor employment prospects in rural areas. Place-shaping practices have transformative powers that are instrumental in achieving sustainable change in communities. The process of reappreciating local landscapes creates memories of positive associations with symbolic meaning; it helps inhabitants to strengthen their sense of place identity and re-grounds their appreciation into a specific local context. Sustainable rural futures require conditions where inhabitants feel listened to and that are responsive to their needs. They also require inspirational leaders to facilitate change and create networks of opportunities, linking inhabitants to the outside world and resources. Leaders may play an important role of re-positioning local communities for the future, creating new experiences or new opportunities, which further feeds re-appreciation of place and enhances quality of life. In order to understand the main issues of the rural areas, two villages with active rural projects in Estonia and Latvia were selected to analyse the role that leaders play in the development of the area and the barriers to a more sustainable approach.

ACS Style

Joanna Storie; Edith Chenault; Mart Külvik; Simon Bell. When Peace and Quiet Is Not Enough: Place-Shaping and the Role of Leaders in Sustainability and Quality of Life in Rural Estonia and Latvia. Land 2020, 9, 259 .

AMA Style

Joanna Storie, Edith Chenault, Mart Külvik, Simon Bell. When Peace and Quiet Is Not Enough: Place-Shaping and the Role of Leaders in Sustainability and Quality of Life in Rural Estonia and Latvia. Land. 2020; 9 (8):259.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joanna Storie; Edith Chenault; Mart Külvik; Simon Bell. 2020. "When Peace and Quiet Is Not Enough: Place-Shaping and the Role of Leaders in Sustainability and Quality of Life in Rural Estonia and Latvia." Land 9, no. 8: 259.

Concept paper
Published: 16 May 2020 in Sustainability
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Within the BlueHealth project, funded under the Horizon 2020 European Union research framework, a number of targeted experimental design interventions were used to test the effect and impact of planning and design on encouraging people to use various blue spaces. Complex interventions were implemented and evaluations before and after each were made using a set of tools which triangulate with each other—a site assessment tool, a behaviour observation tool, a questionnaire survey (including an economic evaluation) and qualitative interviews. The theoretical basis for the research is that of affordances, and the projects each involved modest changes to the landscape using the approach of “urban acupuncture” where a small intervention can potentially have an effect out of all proportion to the investment. This paper is a protocol paper and describes the research strategy and methodology in detail for one of the intervention sites, located in Plymouth in the UK. The aim is to present the methodology as a whole so as to act as (a) a reference framework for the results of all the projects which will be reported separately in a series of research articles once all the results are in and analysed and (b) a useful reference for other researchers wishing to carry out such complex projects and where a comprehensive presentation of the strategy and methodology is unavailable. We offer this protocol for reference, for critique and for inspiration to those following us.

ACS Style

Simon Bell; Himansu Sekhar Mishra; Lewis R. Elliott; Rebecca Shellock; Peeter Vassiljev; Miriam Porter; Zoe Sydenham; Mathew P. White. Urban Blue Acupuncture: A Protocol for Evaluating a Complex Landscape Design Intervention to Improve Health and Wellbeing in a Coastal Community. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4084 .

AMA Style

Simon Bell, Himansu Sekhar Mishra, Lewis R. Elliott, Rebecca Shellock, Peeter Vassiljev, Miriam Porter, Zoe Sydenham, Mathew P. White. Urban Blue Acupuncture: A Protocol for Evaluating a Complex Landscape Design Intervention to Improve Health and Wellbeing in a Coastal Community. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (10):4084.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simon Bell; Himansu Sekhar Mishra; Lewis R. Elliott; Rebecca Shellock; Peeter Vassiljev; Miriam Porter; Zoe Sydenham; Mathew P. White. 2020. "Urban Blue Acupuncture: A Protocol for Evaluating a Complex Landscape Design Intervention to Improve Health and Wellbeing in a Coastal Community." Sustainability 12, no. 10: 4084.

Journal article
Published: 29 April 2020 in Journal of Personalized Medicine
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is diagnosed using neuropsychological testing, supported by amyloid and tau biomarkers and neuroimaging abnormalities. The cause of neuropsychological changes is not clear since they do not correlate with biomarkers. This study investigated if changes in cellular metabolism in AD correlate with neuropsychological changes. Fibroblasts were taken from 10 AD patients and 10 controls. Metabolic assessment included measuring total cellular ATP, extracellular lactate, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial respiration and glycolytic function. All participants were assessed with neuropsychological testing and brain structural MRI. AD patients had significantly lower scores in delayed and immediate recall, semantic memory, phonemic fluency and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). AD patients also had significantly smaller left hippocampal, left parietal, right parietal and anterior medial prefrontal cortical grey matter volumes. Fibroblast MMP, mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity (MSRC), glycolytic reserve, and extracellular lactate were found to be lower in AD patients. MSRC/MMP correlated significantly with semantic memory, immediate and delayed episodic recall. Correlations between MSRC and delayed episodic recall remained significant after controlling for age, education and brain reserve. Grey matter volumes did not correlate with MRSC/MMP. AD fibroblast metabolic assessment may represent an emergent disease biomarker of AD.

ACS Style

Simon M. Bell; Matteo De Marco; Katy Barnes; Pamela Shaw; Laura Ferraiuolo; Daniel J. Blackburn; Heather Mortiboys; Annalena Venneri. Deficits in Mitochondrial Spare Respiratory Capacity Contribute to the Neuropsychological Changes of Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Personalized Medicine 2020, 10, 32 .

AMA Style

Simon M. Bell, Matteo De Marco, Katy Barnes, Pamela Shaw, Laura Ferraiuolo, Daniel J. Blackburn, Heather Mortiboys, Annalena Venneri. Deficits in Mitochondrial Spare Respiratory Capacity Contribute to the Neuropsychological Changes of Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Personalized Medicine. 2020; 10 (2):32.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simon M. Bell; Matteo De Marco; Katy Barnes; Pamela Shaw; Laura Ferraiuolo; Daniel J. Blackburn; Heather Mortiboys; Annalena Venneri. 2020. "Deficits in Mitochondrial Spare Respiratory Capacity Contribute to the Neuropsychological Changes of Alzheimer’s Disease." Journal of Personalized Medicine 10, no. 2: 32.

Journal article
Published: 23 March 2020 in Landscape architecture and art
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We see, use and interact with different type of landscape every day. One of the important types is the road landscape we encounter during travel, whether a business trip, vacation or just on the way to and from home. Such landscapes can often help to introduce us to new regions or invite us to explore the surrounding areas because we partly experience the world around us from the road. Road landscapes combine important aspects of road and transport infrastructure as well as the quality of life of local people, traffic safety and tourism development. Road landscape development concerns both landowners and road users, each of whom might have different interests and understanding about possible landscape development and its consequences. Therefore, it is important to plan, discuss, present, and evaluate the future developments of any road landscape. The subject of road landscape has been little studied in Latvia. There are no recommendations on road landscape evaluation. Here we present a methodology for assessing perceptions of road landscapes. We aim to introduce several methods in combination that can be used in road landscape assessment, in order to show possible future developments of the road corridor and its surroundings and to test how potential changes might be perceived by road users. A combination of a case study approach, a scenario method, the use of 3D animations and of a web-based questionnaire survey are presented and discussed in the paper.

ACS Style

Kristine Vugule; Ilze Stokmane; Simon Bell. Use of mixed methods in road landscape perception studies: an example from Latvia. Landscape architecture and art 2020, 15, 90 -97.

AMA Style

Kristine Vugule, Ilze Stokmane, Simon Bell. Use of mixed methods in road landscape perception studies: an example from Latvia. Landscape architecture and art. 2020; 15 ():90-97.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kristine Vugule; Ilze Stokmane; Simon Bell. 2020. "Use of mixed methods in road landscape perception studies: an example from Latvia." Landscape architecture and art 15, no. : 90-97.

Journal article
Published: 19 February 2020 in Sustainability
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Urban parks play an important role in increasing the quality of urban life. Thus, a variety of approaches to planning and decision-making regarding sustainable open spaces and urban parks is needed, especially when models from one location are borrowed to another with a very different culture. In many developing countries cities are expanding without proper planning of public green spaces which places pressure on the quality of life. In common with many Middle Eastern cities, Tehran, the capital of Iran is a large sprawling metropolis which has experienced fast growth since 1970 and with little in the way of comprehensive planning of green spaces as an organised system. To date there has been no comprehensive investigation of urban parks regarding their level of use, range of activities, quality of maintenance, evidence of anti-social activities or the demographic character of their catchment—important information for effective park planning. In this study a representative sample of 16 parks in Tehran was studied using a combination of site assessments and user observations. We found that a combination of factors concerning the quality of the parks such as presence of facilities, existence of water and other special attractions, as well as how well-lit they are, how well maintained and safe they are, has a lot to do with their level of use. Some pleasant parks with good facilities are less well used because of, e.g., evidence of anti-social behaviour, poor maintenance and accessibility. A key aspect we found is the difference between male and female users, with some parks being much less-well-used by women. Much more attention is needed for planning and management of parks in Tehran. The approach applied here has potential to help other cities in similar areas to learn more about their green space systems for planning purposes.

ACS Style

Fariba Bahriny; Simon Bell. Patterns of Urban Park Use and Their Relationship to Factors of Quality: A Case Study of Tehran, Iran. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1560 .

AMA Style

Fariba Bahriny, Simon Bell. Patterns of Urban Park Use and Their Relationship to Factors of Quality: A Case Study of Tehran, Iran. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (4):1560.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fariba Bahriny; Simon Bell. 2020. "Patterns of Urban Park Use and Their Relationship to Factors of Quality: A Case Study of Tehran, Iran." Sustainability 12, no. 4: 1560.

Journal article
Published: 27 November 2019 in Cerebrovascular Diseases
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Objective: An association between cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and high altitude has been previously proposed, but limited published data exist to support this association. We investigated 28 cases of CVST occurring at high altitude and sought to describe patient demographics, altitude and acclimatization, hematological laboratory findings, neuroimaging, treatment, and prognosis in these cases. Methods: Twenty-eight cases of symptomatic CVST occurring at high altitude were identified between the months of August 2017 and December 2018, in collaboration with Military Hospital, Rawalpindi and Combined Military Hospital, Skardu (Pakistan). Follow-up visits were performed at 1 and 6 months. Results: Twenty-seven (96%) of the patients were males, and the mean age was 33 years. In total, 32.1% were smokers. The mean NIHSS score on presentation was 5.5. 85.7% of the cases occurred at altitude higher than 8,000 feet. On average 107.8 days were spent at a high altitude prior to CVST. Totally, 71.4% had acclimatized for >2 weeks. The mean hemoglobin (Hb) value was 16.7 g/dL and 50% had d-dimer levels higher than 1,000 ng/mL. On MRI, 25% showed signs of hemorrhage and 14.3% showed infarcts. Treatments provided include low-molecular-weight heparin and Rivaroxaban and were associated with good outcomes. Conclusion: CVST is not uncommon at high altitude (>8,000 feet). It is predominantly a male disease. Most patients have high Hb and high D-dimer levels. The overall outcome was good.

ACS Style

Wahaj Ul Hassan; Maryam J. Syed; Wasim Alamgir; Safia Awan; Simon Bell; Arshad Majid; Mohammad Wasay. Cerebral Venous Thrombosis at High Altitude: Analysis of 28 Cases. Cerebrovascular Diseases 2019, 48, 184 -192.

AMA Style

Wahaj Ul Hassan, Maryam J. Syed, Wasim Alamgir, Safia Awan, Simon Bell, Arshad Majid, Mohammad Wasay. Cerebral Venous Thrombosis at High Altitude: Analysis of 28 Cases. Cerebrovascular Diseases. 2019; 48 (3-6):184-192.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wahaj Ul Hassan; Maryam J. Syed; Wasim Alamgir; Safia Awan; Simon Bell; Arshad Majid; Mohammad Wasay. 2019. "Cerebral Venous Thrombosis at High Altitude: Analysis of 28 Cases." Cerebrovascular Diseases 48, no. 3-6: 184-192.

Journal article
Published: 13 August 2019 in Land
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This paper uses the tripartite place attachment framework to examine six rural parishes across Estonia and Latvia. Existing analyses/frameworks on participatory processes often neglect the complexity of relationships that rural residents have to their local environments. From a qualitative analysis of face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with case study area inhabitants (23 interviews in Estonia and 27 in Latvia), we depict varying degrees of attachment of individuals to each other and to the place in which they live and their readiness to participate in terms of willingness and ability to participate in a landscape-scale management process. Attachment to the local area was strongest where the social ties were strongest, independent of their sociogeographical features. Social ties were strong where there were good family connections or strong religious or cultural institutions. Taking individual parishes and engaging inhabitants through in-depth interviews using place attachment analysis gives an overall perspective of life in that rural location. These findings reveal important connections within the communities with the potential for planners to engage with local inhabitants and possible barriers to participation.

ACS Style

Joanna T. Storie; Enri Uusna; Zane Eglāja; Teele Laur; Mart Külvik; Monika Suškevičs; Simon Bell. Place Attachment and Its Consequence for Landscape-Scale Management and Readiness to Participate: Social Network Complexity in the Post-Soviet Rural Context of Latvia and Estonia. Land 2019, 8, 125 .

AMA Style

Joanna T. Storie, Enri Uusna, Zane Eglāja, Teele Laur, Mart Külvik, Monika Suškevičs, Simon Bell. Place Attachment and Its Consequence for Landscape-Scale Management and Readiness to Participate: Social Network Complexity in the Post-Soviet Rural Context of Latvia and Estonia. Land. 2019; 8 (8):125.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joanna T. Storie; Enri Uusna; Zane Eglāja; Teele Laur; Mart Külvik; Monika Suškevičs; Simon Bell. 2019. "Place Attachment and Its Consequence for Landscape-Scale Management and Readiness to Participate: Social Network Complexity in the Post-Soviet Rural Context of Latvia and Estonia." Land 8, no. 8: 125.

Journal article
Published: 07 August 2019 in Landscape Research
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ACS Style

Ziwen Sun; Simon Bell; Iain Scott; Junchao Qian. Everyday use of urban street spaces: the spatio-temporal relations between pedestrians and street vendors: a case study in Yuncheng, China. Landscape Research 2019, 45, 292 -309.

AMA Style

Ziwen Sun, Simon Bell, Iain Scott, Junchao Qian. Everyday use of urban street spaces: the spatio-temporal relations between pedestrians and street vendors: a case study in Yuncheng, China. Landscape Research. 2019; 45 (3):292-309.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ziwen Sun; Simon Bell; Iain Scott; Junchao Qian. 2019. "Everyday use of urban street spaces: the spatio-temporal relations between pedestrians and street vendors: a case study in Yuncheng, China." Landscape Research 45, no. 3: 292-309.

Journal article
Published: 11 July 2019 in Environment and Behavior
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The present study adopted a quasi-experimental mixed method approach to investigate the influence of an improved school ground on children’s academic performance. In total, 123 children from two (intervention and control) primary schools in Bangladesh participated. In the intervention school, a barren school ground was redesigned with several behavior settings (e.g., gardens and amphitheater) for teaching and learning. Treatment group children ( n = 29) received math and science classes outdoors, while a comparison group ( n = 32) received usual indoor classes. A control school with no changes to the outdoor environment was included ( n = 62). The redesigned school ground was associated with higher levels of academic attainment. Furthermore, all intervention schoolchildren perceived more opportunities to explore in the redesigned school ground. Qualitative insights suggest the diverse settings provided more opportunities to explore, experiment, and work collaboratively. These results highlight the potential for school ground design to contribute to improvement of children’s academic attainment in developing countries.

ACS Style

Matluba Khan; Sarah McGeown; Simon Bell. Can an Outdoor Learning Environment Improve Children’s Academic Attainment? A Quasi-Experimental Mixed Methods Study in Bangladesh. Environment and Behavior 2019, 52, 1079 -1104.

AMA Style

Matluba Khan, Sarah McGeown, Simon Bell. Can an Outdoor Learning Environment Improve Children’s Academic Attainment? A Quasi-Experimental Mixed Methods Study in Bangladesh. Environment and Behavior. 2019; 52 (10):1079-1104.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matluba Khan; Sarah McGeown; Simon Bell. 2019. "Can an Outdoor Learning Environment Improve Children’s Academic Attainment? A Quasi-Experimental Mixed Methods Study in Bangladesh." Environment and Behavior 52, no. 10: 1079-1104.

Journal article
Published: 20 April 2019 in Cortex
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Apathy is a common and early symptom in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is linked to poorer prognosis. Theoretical interpretations of apathy implicate alterations of connections amongst fronto-striatal and limbic regions. To test the association between presence of apathy and patterns of brain functional connectivity in patients with clinically-established AD. Seventy AD patients were included. Thirty-five patients experienced apathy as defined by the screening question of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and thirty-five did not. All patients agreed to undergo an MRI protocol inclusive of resting-state acquisitions. The hemodynamic-dependent signal was extracted bilaterally from five regions of interest: ventromedial prefrontal cortices, anterior cingulate cortices, dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, insulae and amygdalae. t tests were run to compare connectivity maps of apathetic and non-apathetic patients. Age, education, Mini Mental State Examination score, gray matter volumes and gray matter fractions served as covariates. At a pFWE < 0.05 threshold, apathetic patients had reduced connectivity between the left insula and right superior parietal cortex. Apathetic patients had also increased connectivity between the right dorsolateral prefrontal seed and the right superior parietal cortex. Patients with apathy were significantly more likely to experience other psychiatric symptoms. Our findings support a role of frontal and insular connections in coordinating value-based decisions in AD. Both down-regulation and maladaptive up-regulation mechanisms appear to be at play in these regions.

ACS Style

Sarah Amy Jones; Matteo De Marco; Riccardo Manca; Simon M. Bell; Daniel J. Blackburn; Iain D. Wilkinson; Hilkka Soininen; Annalena Venneri. Altered frontal and insular functional connectivity as pivotal mechanisms for apathy in Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 2019, 119, 100 -110.

AMA Style

Sarah Amy Jones, Matteo De Marco, Riccardo Manca, Simon M. Bell, Daniel J. Blackburn, Iain D. Wilkinson, Hilkka Soininen, Annalena Venneri. Altered frontal and insular functional connectivity as pivotal mechanisms for apathy in Alzheimer's disease. Cortex. 2019; 119 ():100-110.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sarah Amy Jones; Matteo De Marco; Riccardo Manca; Simon M. Bell; Daniel J. Blackburn; Iain D. Wilkinson; Hilkka Soininen; Annalena Venneri. 2019. "Altered frontal and insular functional connectivity as pivotal mechanisms for apathy in Alzheimer's disease." Cortex 119, no. : 100-110.

Conference paper
Published: 15 April 2019 in SHS Web of Conferences
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The collectivisation of agriculture and the development and application of land improvement “melioration” programmes and technologies, as well as the construction of kolkhoz centres during the Soviet era in Latvia was extensive and has a legacy on the post-Soviet landscape and agricultural economy. A study of a number of rural municipalities in different landscape types, through the comparison of maps from the early 20th century with those from around 2000, and one example with maps from the 1960s and 1990s, together with field work, revealed the degree of change that had taken place. In particular, there was a significant increase in forest – despite the kolkhoz system being targeted at increasing agricultural outputs, a reduction in the number of farmsteads – in some places this was a result of land battles in the Second World war – and a concentration of residences in villages and widespread drainage of marshes, wetlands and wetter forest. Village centres with concentrations of blocks of flats, storage sheds and industrial units were developed. After 1991 and the restitution of land to the original owners or their descendants, large numbers of kolkhoz agricultural buildings, old estate buildings and some residential blocks became redundant and abandoned. Some of the farmland was also abandoned. The sampled areas show different amounts of landscape change and all showed large numbers of ruined buildings scattered around the area. The question of what to do with these, many of which are robbed of anything useful, vandalised and possibly causing pollution remains open, even after 25 or more years.

ACS Style

Simon Bell; Olgerts Nikodemus; Zanda Peneze; Imants Kruze. Soviet era landscape change and the post-Soviet legacy in Latvia. SHS Web of Conferences 2019, 63, 07003 .

AMA Style

Simon Bell, Olgerts Nikodemus, Zanda Peneze, Imants Kruze. Soviet era landscape change and the post-Soviet legacy in Latvia. SHS Web of Conferences. 2019; 63 ():07003.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simon Bell; Olgerts Nikodemus; Zanda Peneze; Imants Kruze. 2019. "Soviet era landscape change and the post-Soviet legacy in Latvia." SHS Web of Conferences 63, no. : 07003.

Conference paper
Published: 15 April 2019 in SHS Web of Conferences
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SHS Web of Conferences, open access proceedings in Humanities and Social Sciences

ACS Style

Simon Bell. Conference conclusions: some overall impressions, themes and questions. SHS Web of Conferences 2019, 63, 14001 .

AMA Style

Simon Bell. Conference conclusions: some overall impressions, themes and questions. SHS Web of Conferences. 2019; 63 ():14001.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simon Bell. 2019. "Conference conclusions: some overall impressions, themes and questions." SHS Web of Conferences 63, no. : 14001.