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This is an essay that depicts the line of a mountain ridge as an element to contemplate the abyssal condition expressed in the landscape of Belo Horizonte, the capital of Brazil's Minas Gerais province. The landscape is understood as the mediation of abyssal lines that determine the center and the periphery, based on the dichotomies culture/nature, belonging/non-belonging. This reflection, underpinned by the interpretation of photographic images, discusses the predatory forces of mining activities, real estate speculation in the landscape, resistance movements linked to socio-environmental struggle and the urban landscape production, examining them from culturally diverse references. Lastly, an analysis is done of the line created by the mountain and portrayed in nature paintings on city walls in order to enhance the perception of its symbology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion has been widely applied for waste treatment, renewable energy generation and biofertilizer production. The biogas potential in Brazil is sizable, but the state of Rio de Janeiro is largely dependent on fossil fuels, and there is a lack of biogas potential assessments in the state. Thus, this study evaluated biomethane, electricity and biofertilizer potentials in the region. Three different scenarios of biomass supply were considered for four major biowaste streams: sewage sludge; cattle manure; sugarcane processing waste; and food waste. Biomethane generation from the assessed sources could reach 0.6–1.3 billion Nm3 year−1, corresponding to 1,768–3,961 GWh year−1 of electricity and 1.6–3.3 million Mg year−1 of biofertilizer. Cattle manure was responsible for 73–84% of the projected biomethane production, presenting an opportunity to reduce the significant emissions from livestock farming. The estimated biofertilizer production could meet the demands of the state, and the produced electricity could offset up to 10% of the demand. The gas grid could facilitate the distribution of upgraded biomethane, and 10–22% of the natural gas demand could be met. The findings of this work highlight the high potential for biogas generation in Rio de Janeiro, which is up to seven times larger than the current production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the world's main cause of irreversible blindness, is an asymptomatic and neurodegenerative disease of multifactorial etiology with ethnic and geographic disparities. Multiethnic genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in ATXN2, FOXC1 , and TXNRD2 loci as risk factors for POAG pathophysiology and/or endophenotypes. The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the association of the variants rs7137828 ( ATXN2 ), rs2745572 ( FOXC1 ), and rs35934224 ( TXNRD2 ), as risk factors for POAG development, additionally to rs7137828 association with glaucoma clinical parameters in a Brazilian cohort from the Southeast and South regions., Methods: This investigation comprised 506 cases and 501 controls. Variants rs2745572 and rs35934224 were genotyped through TaqMan® assays and validated by Sanger sequencing. Variant rs7137828 was genotyped exclusively by Sanger sequencing., Results: The primary research outcome revealed that the variant rs7137828 ( ATXN2 ) was associated with an increased risk for the development of POAG in the presence of the TT genotype compared to the CC genotype ( p  = 0.006; Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.717; Confidence Interval [CI] 95% = 1.169-2.535). There was no significant association of rs2745572 and rs35934224 genotypes with POAG. The CT genotype of the rs7137828 was associated with the vertical cup-to-disk ratio (VCDR) ( p  = .023) but not with the age at diagnosis or the mean deviation., Conclusion: Our data indicate the rs7137828 associated with increased risk for the development of POAG and VCDR in a Brazilian cohort. If validated in additional populations, these findings may enable the development of relevant strategies for early diagnosis of glaucoma in the future.