Hill College West Research Forum 2015
Talk Abstracts
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Hill College West Research Forum 2015
Leprosy and the Religious Significance of the 9-Banded Armadillo
Cameron Clegg, PhD in the Department of Archaeology, St Aidan’s College
Abstract：Leper. Even today the term conjures up horrific images, rife with religious sentiment and
social stigma. Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is still present today, and has been known since 2000 B.C.
The 19th and 20th Century saw the organised banishment and segregation of lepers, ostensibly to
protect the uninfected from a communicable disease. The social stigma that this disease carried was
affiliated with religious blight, and persists to this day. What are the origins of this stigma? Why is
it still important today? And, most importantly: What does any of this have to do with the 9
banded armadillo?
How could this adorable little creature be at the centre of ending this
centuries-old stigma? This talk will examine this disease, explore the origins of the social stigma
associated with it, and expose the significance of one of the oldest extant mammalian orders on this
earth.
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Hill College West Research Forum 2015
The drivers of inter-annual variation in the terminus position of
outlet glaciers in East Antarctica
Arminel Lovell, MSc by Research in the Department of Geography, Van Mildert College
Abstract: Outlet glaciers in the Greenland and West Antarctic Ice Sheets are rapidly losing mass,
increasing ice-sheet contribution to global sea-level.
The East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) is
considered to be more stable and has therefore received less attention from researchers. However,
recent research has suggested that outlet glaciers in large parts of the EAIS are more vulnerable to
climatic forcing than previously acknowledged. Therefore a better understanding of the drivers of
outlet glacier behaviour in the EAIS is needed. This project investigates and compares the recent
terminus changes of outlet glaciers in three distinct climatic regions (Victoria Land, Oates Land and
George V Land) in East Antarctica in order to identify the recent regional and glacier-specific controls
on their terminus position at inter-annual time-scales. Terminus change was calculated for 134
glaciers in the study area at 4-year intervals between 1997 and 2013. The relationships between
glacier terminus change and potential forcing mechanisms including air temperature, sea-surface
temperatures and ice velocity were investigated. The role of glacier-specific factors such as fjord
width and shape and terminus type (land- or marine-terminating) in modulating glacier terminus
behaviour was also studied. Initial results show a general trend of glacier advance in all three regions
over the past 20 years. However, land-terminating glaciers show minimal variation in comparison
with marine-terminating glaciers suggesting that glacier-specific factors may also have an important
role to play in outlet glacier behaviour.
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Hill College West Research Forum 2015
A glimpse into the world of particle physics
Gilberto Tetlalmatzi, PhD in the Department of Physics, St Aidan’s College
Abstract: Our understanding of the fundamental structure of matter changed drastically in the last
century, indeed the development of quantum mechanics allowed to transform our vision of the
microscopic world, starting with the description of the basic components of nature in terms of
atoms and ending with the construction of the Standard Model of Particle Physics: a very successful
theory for studying the interactions of subatomic particles.
The experimental evidence in favour of the Standard Model is impressive as it has been verified by
different high energy physics experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) . One of the
most recent proofs of the validity of this theory is the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012,
introduced theoretically since the 1960's.
However there are still some conceptual and observational problems that cannot be addressed within
the realm of the Standard Model, for instance the existence of dark matter or the asymmetry between
matter and antimatter in the universe. This year the LHC is running again at energies not previously
achieved by any of the high energy physics experiments constructed until now with the expectation
of discovering new particles or forces that can explain some of the open questions mentioned
previously.
The purpose of this non technical and self contained talk is to give an introduction to the ideas
behind the Standard Model of Particle Physics, such as the physics of subatomic scales (Quantum
Mechanics) and the physics of bodies moving near to the speed of light (Special Relativity). The
structure of the model will be discussed to conclude with an explanation of some of its possible
extensions and challenges.
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Hill College West Research Forum 2015
A threaten or an opportunity for international financial market? The
necessity to regulate sovereign wealth funds investment
Wei Yin, PhD in the Department of Law School, Trevelyan College
Abstract: Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), as a long-term investor, have not had widespread attention,
until the outbreak of global financial crisis, during which time they invest into global financial market.
With rapid development and increasing asset accumulation, SWFs have become influential investors
worldwide while their sovereignty and lack of transparency raised concerns from developed countries.
They worry that if SWFs investment were lack of supervision and regulation, they would shake the
stabilization of global market and threaten the national security of host countries. Therefore,
developed countries claim that SWFs should be regulated. However, different countries have different
legal culture and legal system, it is unreasonable to ask SWFs to abide by every regulation of host
countries. Therefore, why are the problems about SWFs? Why should SWFs be regulated? Which type
of regulation is suitable to regulate them? To analyse these issues, my presentation will firstly section
talk about the nature of sovereign wealth funds, especially its definition and its role in international
finance and investment market. Secondly, the influences of sovereign wealth funds and concerns
caused by their activities. Thirdly, I will talk about the regulation per se and explain the reasons why
they should be regulated from both practical and theoretical support. Finally, I will elaborate the
important of the suitable regulation for national and international financial market.
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Hill College West Research Forum 2015
Poster Abstracts
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Hill College West Research Forum 2015
Density dependent pollinator behaviour influences plant success
Natalie Allum, MSc by Research in the Department of Ecology, Trevelyan College
Plant-pollinator interactions are common examples of service-resource mutualisms. However, the
efficiency of the relationship seems to be context-dependent. Pollen limitation is a common restraint
on seed development, and because this seems to be more frequent in smaller populations it has been
suggested that plants are more attractive at higher densities. Assuming that this is true, the changes in
attraction should lead to changes in the per-flower visitation rate. These changes could be positive,
negative or neutral. Using a simulation model I have looked at the growth and expansion of a
population of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) over 200 years, under the influence of positive or
negative effects of density on fertilisation. Pollinator foraging behaviour is an important determinant
of plant density and the proportion of plants flowering, but has less effect on the rate of population
spread. This work has demonstrated the importance of knowing the true relation between flower
density and fertilisation success for bluebells.
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Hill College West Research Forum 2015
Human Skeletal Remains
Cameron Clegg, PhD in the Department of Archaeology, St Aidan’s College
This poster will provide a general introduction for the archaeological analysis of human remains.
The poster explores the various methods by which human bones are used to estimate the age and sex
of individuals, as well as how disease and injury affected them.
Palaeopathology: Skeletons From Durham Market Place
Cameron Clegg, PhD in the Department of Archaeology, St Aidan’s College
This poster follows the one above, providing a case study for the above analyses. The poster
explores the lives of individuals living in Medieval Durham, investigating how their day-to-day lives
were affected by injury and disease.
Zooarchaeology
Cameron Clegg, PhD in the Department of Archaeology, St Aidan’s College
This poster gives a general overview of how the analysis of animal remains recovered from
archaeological sites can shed light on the lives and occupations of past peoples. Specifically, it looks
at what animal remains can reveal concerning the diet of people as well as the presence of trade or
craft industries.
The Bones at Binchester: A Zooarchaeological Analysis of Cattle from a Late
Roman Military Fort and Civilian Settlement in Northern England
Cameron Clegg, PhD in the Department of Archaeology, St Aidan’s College
Analysis of cattle bones recovered from archaeological sites can give us insight into various
exploitation strategies employed by past peoples. Located near Bishop Auckland, co. Durham, the
site of Binchester, Roman Fort was built to house cavalry in AD 80, and saw continued occupation
throughout the Roman period. Being the subject of many previous excavations, the current project
at Binchester started in 2009, with trenches open in both the military fort and the neighboring civilian
settlement. With cattle representing 70% of the recovered identifiable fragments, Binchester,
Roman Fort provides an excellent opportunity to examine the utilization of cattle as a source of
sustenance, labor, and other secondary products. Through a detailed morphometric analysis of the
cattle bone recovered from Binchester we can gain insight into the specific practices and strategies
employed by the inhabitants of the sight, both military and civilian, and further enhance our
understanding of Roman animal husbandry within the greater research context of Late Roman
Britain.
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Hill College West Research Forum 2015
A threaten or an opportunity for international financial market? The necessity to
regulate sovereign wealth funds investment
Wei Yin, PhD in the Department of Law School, Trevelyan College
Sovereign wealth funds are usually regarded as assets owned or managed by general government but
separate from official foreign reserve in pursuit of macroeconomic purpose and high-returned profits.
As long-term investing entities, sovereign wealth funds have attracted wide attention since the
outbreak of global financial crisis. However, the rapid development of them also lead to concerns so
that developed countries call for regulations especially restrictions on SWFs. On the other hand,
international community recognizes that sovereign wealth funds indeed bring benefits to current
international financial market. Therefore, the question may occur: why do the sovereign wealth funds
need to be regulated? This poster will demonstrate the definition of sovereign wealth funds, the
influences of their activities from both positive and negative aspects and then analyses the necessity
to regulate them according to practical issues and theoretical underpinnings.
Orientation:
Section 1: What are sovereign wealth funds?
a. Definition in economy and law literature
b. Proposed definition
Section 2: what are the influences and issues of sovereign wealth funds investment?
a. Influences of sovereign wealth funds development
b. Concerns to sovereign wealth funds investment
Section 3: Why do sovereign wealth funds need to be regulated?
a. Practical consideration
b. Theoretical analysis
Section4: What kind of regulation is needed?
a. A general regulation or special regulation for sovereign wealth funds?
b. What is the problem if over-regulated
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