Combination notes: market segmentation and equity transfer

This paper empirically analyzes a particular type of notes observed in securitization transactions: combination notes. Combination notes are formed by combining parts of two or more tranches of securitization transactions, where one part usually consists of a share of the first loss piece. It is analyzed whether combination notes are purely demand driven, or whether combination notes also appear to be structured to enable equity transfer. Results indicate that combination notes serve both purposes: market segmentation severely determines the structuring of combination notes, but risk transfer needs seem to be catered by combination notes as well. Further, an analysis of launch spreads indicates, that the observed equity transfer via combination notes has an impact on the pricing of the ordinary tranches of each deal. This paper makes use of unique data on 126 deals containing 1385 tranches, thereof 398 combination notes

Radar images - Meteor Crater, Arizona

Aerial radar imagery of Meteor Crater, Arizon

Quantitative analysis of terrain units mapped in the northern quarter of Venus from Venera 15/16 data

The contacts between 34 geological/geomorphic terrain units in the northern quarter of Venus mapped from Venera 15/16 data were digitized and converted to a Sinusoidal Equal-Area projection. The result was then registered with a merged Pioneer Venus/Venera 15/16 altimetric database, root mean square (rms) slope values, and radar reflectivity values derived from Pioneer Venus. The resulting information includes comparisons among individual terrain units and terrain groups to which they are assigned in regard to percentage of map area covered, elevation, rms slopes, distribution of suspected craters greater than 10 km in diameter

Volcanism on Venus: Large shields and major accumulations of small domes

The outer layers of the Venusian lithosphere appear to dissipate heat from the interior through mantle-driven thermal anomalies (hot spots, swells). As a result, Venus exhibits diverse forms of thin-skin tectonism and magmatic transfer to and extrusion from countless numbers of volcanic centers (e.g., shields, paterae, domes) and volcano-tectonic complexes (e.g., coronae, arachnoids). What is known about the distribution and morphologies of major Venusian shields is summarized, and the evidence for possible structural control of major accumulations as long as 5000 km of small volcanic domes is described

Comments on the tectonism of Venus

Preliminary tectonic mapping of Venus from Venera 15/16 images shows unquestionable evidence of at least limited horizontal tectonism. The majority of tectonic features on Venus have no relation to topography. In fact, many axes of disruption interconnect, and cross sharp topographic boundaries at large angles, thereby discounting gravity as the driving force. Compressional zones (CZ's), unlike Extensional zones (EZ's), tend to be discontinuous, and, whereas EZ's cross tectonic and topographic boundaries at various angles, many CZ's on Venus are subparallel to these boundaries. Strike-like faulting is curiously lacking from the mapping, possible due to the steep incidence angle of the radar, which is far from optimal for detecting faults of small throw. A chronology of horizontal crustal movements, and hence the analysis of Venus' thermal development, is large dependent on understanding the crater form features. Regardless of their uncertain origin, the craters still could hold the answer to whether, and to what extent, crustal shuffling is occurring on Venus

Clotho Tessera, Venus: A fragment of Fortuna Tessera

Clotho Tessera, adjacent to southeast Lakshmi Planum, may provide additional evidence for lateral crustal motions, and a model for the origin of small tessera fragments. Clotho Tessera and Lakshmi Planum are so noticeably different, and in such close proximity, it is difficult to derive a reasonable model of their formation in situ. Squeezing of material out from beneath Lakshmi has been suggested as an origin for Moira Tessera, which is also adjacent to Lakshmi and 1400 km west of Clotho. However, a logical model of juxtaposition of the two different terrains, originally from points once distant, can be made for Clotho and Lakshmi (and perhaps other small tesserae as well). It is suggested that Clotho Tessera was once part of Fortuna Tessera, but was cut off by a transcurrent fault zone (the DLZ) striking perpendicular to the Sigrun rift and carried westward where it collided with Lakshmi Planum (forming Danu Montes). A gravity anomaly along the southern border of Lakshmi, in the area of Danu Montes, was interpreted as indicating subduction there, providing additional supporting evidence for the collision hypothesis. Diffusion of the DLZ with proximity to Sigrun Fossae may be due to either higher ductility near the postulated Sigrun rift, or to burial by flows away from the rift nearer to Valkyrie Fossae. Other possible examples of migrating tesserae occur elsewhere: small pieces of Ananke Tessera can be fit back together as though they had rifted apart, and the spreading apart of Ananke and Virilis Tesserae has been suggested because of their symmetric locations about the axis of an inferred spreading zone. Other tessera fragments appear to have been isolated by rifting, with little, if any, significant lateral motion (e.g., Meni and Tellus Tesserae, and Thethus and Fortuna Tesserae). The migrating terrain model for Clotho Tessera supports Sukhanov's interpretation of tesseral fragments as rafts of lighter crustal material

Can a time-stratigraphic classification system be developed for Venus?

Magellan radar images reveal that Venus' exposed geologic record covers a relatively short and recent time span, as indicated by the low density of impact craters across the planet. Therefore, because impact cratering in itself will not be a useful tool to define geologic ages on Venus, it was questioned whether a useful stratigraphic scheme can be developed for the planet. We believe that a venusian stratigraphy is possible and that it can be based on the following: (1) an examination of the rationale and methods that have been used to develop such schemes for the other planets; and (2) what can be gleaned from Magellan and other datasets of Venus

Menschenwürde: ein für die Medizinethik irrelevanter Begriff?

Zusammenfassung: Es wurde für die These argumentiert, dass der Begriff der Würde in der Medizinethik nutzlos sei und in den Fällen, in denen er verständlich verwendet wird, nichts anderes meint als den Respekt vor der Autonomie von Personen. In diesem Aufsatz soll gezeigt werden, dass diese These falsch ist. Es wird ein Begriff von Würde vorgestellt, der sich nicht auf den Begriff des Respekts vor der Autonomie von Personen reduzieren lässt. Anhand der Diskussion um ein Sterben in Würde soll auch deutlich werden, dass auf den Begriff der Würde auch in der Medizinethik nicht verzichtet werden kan

Jane Austen Film Adaptations, Fan Fiction, and Contemporary Anglo-American Culture

The rise of “Austenmania” in the form of films and heritage tours has been well marked in the past twenty years. Films based on Austen texts have attained a mass market popularity and tours based on Austen texts (and even Austen film adaptations) have likewise become popular within the heterosexual, romance-consuming female demographic. With the advent of the heritage film, Austen’s original texts became prime fodder for the heritage industry and the conservative depiction of Britain’s past Margaret Thatcher’s administration wished to portray. It is no mistake, in short, that “Austenmania” in effect began in the 1980s. The contemporary Anglo-American cultural markers of the heritage industry and feminism have influenced the development, success, and consumption of products like Austen film adaptations and have also influenced the production and consumption of Austen fan fiction. In this thesis I sought to prove that the heritage industry’s conservative agenda has a similarly conservative influence on Austen fan fiction. This conservative influence undermines or complicates the feminism some literary critics claim appears in fan fictions like Alexandra Potter’s Me and Mr. Darcy and Pamela Aidan’s Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy. In order to prove this thesis, I relied mainly on traditional research into the arguments of prominent literary critics of the heritage industry, film and feminism. I also performed independent research into Austen fan fictions through close readings and comparisons with other fan fictions not mentioned in this thesis. The evidence of an unfeminist message in Potter and Aidan’s fan fiction lies in their creation of irrational heroines, overly saccharine romances, and confusion in the characterization of Darcy as a “New Man.” While various feminist literary critics (according to their own, often widely different definitions of feminism) claim that each of these elements signals the feminism of Austen and/or of Austen film adaptations, I question such claims in light of the evidence of Austen fan fiction. Furthermore, while critics like Janice Radway or Henry Jenkins claim romances and fan fictions, respectively, are feminist, I argue that Austen fan fictions lack some of the characteristics that these critics cite as crucial to the feminism of these genres. In light of this evidence, I claim that Austen fan fiction should be considered unfeminist texts, and the influence of the heritage industry is in large part responsible for this conservative reading