Watching the city: the politics of space in Pizza, birra, faso

In this article I discuss the representation of Buenos Aires in Pizza, birra, faso. Paying attention to some of the film’s salient aspects vis-a-vis its portrayal of urban space, my analysis has as ultimate goal to reveal the ways in which the film engages in a political critique that might seem absent if studied solely from a narrative point of view. In this sense Pizza, birra, faso is a paradigmatic example of the ways in which many of the films of New Argentine Cinema engaged with their political context differently to films of the post-dictatorship generation. To unearth this political content, I will argue, it is necessary to study these films as films, and not merely texts

A new automated setup for stable isotope analysis of dissolved organic carbon

The measurement of stable isotope ratios on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) has long posed analytical problems and limited the use of this powerful tracer in biogeochemical studies in aquatic systems. Here, we provide a detailed description of a successful coupling of a custom-modified total organic carbon analyzer ( Thermo HiPerTOC) to an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). The method is based on the wet oxidation of up to similar to 20 mL aqueous sample in a closed reactor, whereby complete oxidation is ensured by a combination of sodium persulfate addition, heating, and UV irradiation. The produced CO2 is carried over a water trap and purification column in a stream of He and introduced into the IRMS via a conventional open-split interface, enabling both quantification and delta C-13 analysis. Typical reproducibility of delta C-13 analyses on DOC in this setup is in the order of 0.2% or better, comparable to that obtained in a more conventional elemental analyzer-IRMS setup. With appropriate blank correction procedures, accurate analyses can be obtained on concentrations as low as 0.5 mg DOC L-1, representing the lower limit typically observed in marine systems. Typical overall system blank values for DOC analysis are in the order of 1 mu g C. Analytical conditions ( reaction time, reagent concentrations) were optimized for samples from brackish and marine environments, so that a single method can handle all types of environmental DOC samples. Although no certified DOC standards exist for delta C-13, we analyzed the delta C-13 values of a DOC "consensus reference material" from a deep-ocean environment (cfr. Hansell 2005) and found a delta C-13 value of - 19.5 +/- 0.4 parts per thousand ( n= 3), which is consistent with its oceanic origin.status: publishe

Variability of carbon dioxide and methane in the epilimnion of Lake Kivu

peer reviewedWe report a dataset of the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and me-thane concentrations (CH4) in the surface waters of Lake Kivu ob-tained during four cruises covering the two main seasons (rainy and dry). Spatial gradients of surface pCO2 and CH4 concentrations were modest in the main basin. In Kabuno Bay, pCO2 and CH4 concentra-tions in surface waters were higher, owing to the stronger influence of subaquatic springs from depth. Seasonal variations of pCO2 and CH4 in the main basin of Lake Kivu were strongly driven by deepen-ing of the epilimnion and the resulting entrainment of water charac-terized by higher pCO2 and CH4 concentrations. Physical and chem-ical vertical patterns in Kabuno Bay were seasonally stable, owing to a stronger stratification and smaller surface area inducing fetch limi-tation of wind driven turbulence. A global and regional cross-system comparison of pCO2 and CH4 concentrations in surface waters of lakes highlights the peculiarity of Kabuno Bay in terms of pCO2 values in surface waters. In terms of surface CH4 concentrations, both Kabuno Bay and the main basin of Lake Kivu are at the lower end of values in lakes globally, despite the huge amounts of CH4 and CO2 in the deeper layers of the lake.AFRIVA