O mapeamento decolonial de Moçambique nos romances de Mia Couto

Este artigo tem como objetivo tratar da forma como a prosa de Mia Couto procura dar voz a sujeitos invisibilizados pelo colonialismo lusitano estabelecido em diversos países do continente africano, a exemplo de Moçambique, país de origem do autor. Em seus romances, é possível considerarmos que o escritor elabora manifestos culturais e políticos relacionados com a história de opressão e violência pela qual passou a nação moçambicana, subjugada principalmente ao autoritarismo do regime salazarista, destacando a relevância indispensável de expor aos leitores o testemunho de luta pela liberdade desse povo e a busca incessante pela verdade, outrora varrida para debaixo dos tapetes da polícia portuguesa, através de narrativas que não obedecem a uma visão de mundo eurocêntrica. Para desenvolver o tema, utiliza-se como referência textual o mais recente romance de Mia Couto, que se chama O mapeador de ausências (2020), sem deixar de se mencionar algumas produções literárias anteriores tais como Terra sonâmbula (1992), A varanda do frangipani (1996) e Vinte e Zinco (1999), obras também importantes para a compreensão do mapeamento decolonial a ser abordado neste texto

Sobre a catarse de Augusto dos Anjos

Com a finalidade de promover a discussão acerca da poética de Augusto dos Anjos, tem-se nesse breve estudo uma alternativa de reflexão pela qual a proposta desse ensaio tende a sugerir para possíveis leitores. Discutir sobre os anseios inerentes à humanidade, nunca abrandados quando a problemática da vida refere-se ao dilema da própria vida, refluindo para questionamentos pertinentes à mortalidade do homem. Assim, a constante tensão do indivíduo é conviver sempre com as inquietações do espírito, a catarse assustadora perante a perplexidade dessa existência, o cotidiano e com suas emoções, características que abarcam em si mesmas o traço da finitude. Eis alguns pontos fundamentais, argumentados nesse trabalho. Palavras-chave: reflexão; finitude; catarse

O futuro fabuloso dos ibéricos em "A jangada de pedra": um manifesto dissonante como resposta à Europa

This article establishes a theoretical discussion about the novel "A jangada de pedra" (1986), by José Saramago, giving in the narrative the political debate that the author promotes through emblematic characters for the history of Portugal and Spain. To belong or not to belong to Europe is one of the crucial points for reflection that the narrator offers us in the form of criticism throughout the text, since the Iberian Peninsula begins to navigate by the seas, detached from the Old World.  O presente artigo estabelece uma discussão teórica a respeito do romance "A jangada de pedra" (1986), de José Saramago, conferindo-se na narrativa o debate político que o autor promove através de personagens emblemáticos para a história de Portugal e Espanha. Pertencer ou não à Europa é um dos pontos cruciais de reflexão que o narrador nos oferece em forma de crítica ao longo do texto, uma vez que a Península Ibérica passa a navegar pelos mares, desprendida do Velho Mundo.

REMINISCÊNCIAS DE NARRADORES NO CÁRCERE: TRAJETÓRIAS DE OPRESSÃO

I seek in this essay to suggest some reasons that explain how the text founded by veracious account are worked according to fictional language in order to reinforce analysis of the works Recordações da Casa dos Mortos, from Fiódor Dostoiévski and Memórias do Cárcere, from Graciliano Ramos. Then, the narrators of that works return, through memory, at the time they were political prisoner and subdue the imagination to writing that it predispose to register reasons for to express personal experiences narrated according to circumstances that have the authors to recover the past and to reconstruct theirs trajectories of oppression.Para contemplar a análise das obras Recordações da Casa dos Mortos, de Fiódor Dostoiévski e Memórias do Cárcere, de Graciliano Ramos, procuro nesse ensaio sugerir alguns argumentos que expliquem como os textos apoiados em relatos verídicos são trabalhados de acordo com a linguagem ficcional. Dessa forma, os narradores de tais obras retornam, através da memória, ao tempo em que foram presos políticos, submetendo a imaginação à escrita que então se predispõe a registrar razões pelas quais autores resgatam o passado e reconstituem suas trajetórias de opressão

Aerobic exercise training induces metabolic benefits in rats with metabolic syndrome independent of dietary changes

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise training without dietary changes on cardiovascular and metabolic variables and on the expression of glucose transporter Type 4 in rats with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Twenty male spontaneously hypertensive rats received monosodium glutamate during the neonatal period. The animals were allocated to the following groups: MS (sedentary metabolic syndrome), MS-T (trained on a treadmill for 1 hour/day, 5 days/week for 10 weeks), H (sedentary spontaneously hypertensive rats) and H-T (trained spontaneously hypertensive rats). The Lee index, blood pressure (tail-cuff system), insulin sensitivity (insulin tolerance test) and functional capacity were evaluated before and after 10 weeks of training. Glucose transporter Type 4 expression was analyzed using Western blotting. The data were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) (

The beneficial effects of exercise in rodents are preserved after detraining: a phenomenon unrelated to GLUT4 expression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although exercise training has well-known cardiorespiratory and metabolic benefits, low compliance with exercise training programs is a fact, and the harmful effects of physical detraining regarding these adaptations usually go unnoticed. We investigated the effects of exercise detraining on blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and GLUT4 expression in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Studied animals were randomized into sedentary, trained (treadmill running/5 days a week, 60 min/day for 10 weeks), 1 week of detraining, and 2 weeks of detraining. Blood pressure (tail-cuff system), insulin sensitivity (kITT), and GLUT4 (Western blot) in heart, gastrocnemius and white fat tissue were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Exercise training reduced blood pressure (19%), improved insulin sensitivity (24%), and increased GLUT4 in the heart (+34%); gastrocnemius (+36%) and fat (+22%) in SHR. In WKY no change in either blood pressure or insulin sensitivity were observed, but there was an increase in GLUT4 in the heart (+25%), gastrocnemius (+45%) and fat (+36%) induced by training. Both periods of detraining did not induce any change in neither blood pressure nor insulin sensitivity in SHR and WKY. One-week detraining reduced GLUT4 in SHR (heart: -28%; fat: -23%) and WKY (heart: -19%; fat: -22%); GLUT4 in the gastrocnemius was reduced after a 2-week detraining (SHR: -35%; WKY: -25%). There was a positive correlation between GLUT4 (gastrocnemius) and the maximal velocity in the exercise test (r = 0.60, p = 0.004).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study findings show that in detraining, despite reversion of the enhanced GLUT4 expression, cardiorespiratory and metabolic beneficial effects of exercise are preserved.</p

Resistive training reduces inflammation in skeletal muscle and improves the peripheral insulin sensitivity in obese rats induced by hyperlipidic diet

OBJETIVO: Investigar em ratos obesos o efeito da prática de exercício resistido sobre a sensibilidade à insulina e sobre a expressão de citocinas pró-inflamatórias e de transportador de glicose em músculo solear. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Ratos Wistar alimentados com dieta hiperlipídica (grupos obesos) foram submetidos ao protocolo de exercício tipo jump squat. A sensibilidade à insulina e a expressão gênica de Tnf-&#945;, SOCS3 e GLUT4 foram comparadas entre os grupos obesos sedentários (OS) e exercitados (OE) e controles sedentários (CS) e exercitados (CE). RESULTADOS: A sensibilidade à insulina estava reduzida no grupo OS e elevada no OE. Os conteúdos de RNAm de Tnf-&#945; e de SOCS3 estavam aumentados no músculo esquelético do grupo OS e reduzidos no OE. O conteúdo proteico e de RNAm de GLUT4 não diferiu entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: O exercício resistido reverte o quadro de resistência à insulina periférica e de inflamação no músculo esquelético de obesos induzidos por dieta.OBJECTIVE: To determine if resistive exercise protocol can modulate Tnf-&#945;, SOCS3 and glucose transporter GLUT4 genes expression in skeletal muscle, and peripheral insulin sensitivity in obese rats induced by hyperlipidic diet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar obese rats induced by hyperlipidic diet were subjected a resistive exercise protocol as jump squat. Insulin sensitivity and mRNA content of Tnf-&#945;, SOCS3 and GLUT4 were assayed and compared among the groups: obese sedentary (OS) and exercised (OE), control sedentary (CS) and exercised (CE). RESULTS: The mRNA content of Tnf-&#945; and SOCS3 has increased in skeletal muscle from OS and has decreased in OE group. The protein and GLUT4 mRNA contents were correlated but they did not change among the groups. Peripheral insulin sensitivity has increased in the OE compared to OS group. CONCLUSION: The resistive exercise reverses the peripheral insulin resistance and the inflammatory state in skeletal muscle from diet-induced obese rats

Diabetes Modulates MicroRNAs 29b-3p, 29c-3p, 199a-5p and 532-3p Expression in Muscle: Possible Role in GLUT4 and HK2 Repression

The reduced expression of solute carrier family 2, facilitated glucose transporter member 4 (GLUT4) and hexokinase-2 (HK2) in skeletal muscle participates in insulin resistance of diabetes mellitus (DM). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important modulators of mRNA/protein expression, but their role in DM is unclear. We investigated miRNAs hypothetically involved in GLUT4/HK2 expression in soleus muscle of type 1 diabetes-like rats. In silico analysis revealed 651 miRNAs predicted to regulate solute carrier family 2 member 4 (Slc2a4) mRNA, several of them also predicted to regulate Hk2 mRNA, and 16 miRNAs were selected for quantification. Diabetes reduced Slc2a4/GLUT4 and Hk2/HK2 expression (50–77%), upregulated miR-29b-3p and miR-29c-3p (50–100%), and downregulated miR-93-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-199a-5p, miR-345-3p, and miR-532-3p (~30%) expression. Besides, GLUT4 and HK2 proteins correlated (P &lt; 0.05) negatively with miR-29b-3p and miR-29c-3p and positively with miR-199a-5p and miR-532-3p, suggesting that these miRNAs could be markers of alterations in GLUT4 and HK2 expression. Additionally, diabetes increased the nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 protein (p50) expression, a repressor of Slc2a4, which was also predicted as a target for miR-199a-5p and miR-532-3p. Correlations were also detected between these miRNAs and blood glucose, 24-h glycosuria and plasma fructosamine, and insulin therapy reversed most of the alterations. In sum, we report that diabetes altered miR-29b-3p, miR-29c-3p, miR-199a-5p and miR-532-3p expression in muscle of male rats, where their predicted targets Slc2a4/GLUT4 and Hk2/HK2 are repressed. These data shed light on these miRNAs as a markers of impaired skeletal muscle glucose disposal, and, consequently, glycemic control in diabetes

Aerobic exercise training enhances the in vivo cholesterol trafficking from macrophages to the liver independently of changes in the expression of genes involved in lipid flux in macrophages and aorta

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud Regular exercise prevents and regresses atherosclerosis by improving lipid metabolism and antioxidant defenses. Exercise ameliorates the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), an antiatherogenic system that drives cholesterol from arterial macrophages to the liver for excretion into bile and feces. In this study we analyzed the role of aerobic exercise on the in vivo RCT and expression of genes and proteins involved in lipid flux and inflammation in peritoneal macrophages, aortic arch and liver from wild type mice.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud Twelve-week-old male mice were divided into sedentary and trained groups. Exercise training was performed in a treadmill (15 m/min, 30 min/day, 5 days/week). Plasma lipids were determined by enzymatic methods and lipoprotein profile by fast protein liquid chromatography. After intraperitoneal injection of J774-macrophages the RCT was assessed by measuring the recovery of 3H-cholesterol in plasma, feces and liver. The expression of liver receptors was determined by immunoblot, macrophages and aortic mRNAs by qRT-PCR. 14C-cholesterol efflux mediated by apo A-I and HDL2 and the uptake of 3H-cholesteryl oleoyl ether (3H-COE)-acetylated-LDL were determined in macrophages isolated from sedentary and trained animals 48 h after the last exercise session.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud Body weight, plasma lipids, lipoprotein profile, glucose and blood pressure were not modified by exercise training. A greater amount of 3H-cholesterol was recovered in plasma (24 h and 48 h) and liver (48 h) from trained animals in comparison to sedentary. No difference was found in 3H-cholesterol excreted in feces between trained and sedentary mice. The hepatic expression of scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) and LDL receptor (B-E) was enhanced by exercise. We observed 2.8 and 1.7 fold rise, respectively, in LXR and Cyp7a mRNA in the liver of trained as compared to sedentary mice. Macrophage and aortic expression of genes involved in lipid efflux was not systematically changed by physical exercise. In agreement, 14C-cholestrol efflux and uptake of 3H-COE-acetylated-LDL by macrophages was similar between sedentary and trained animals.\ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud Aerobic exercise in vivo accelerates the traffic of cholesterol from macrophages to the liver contributing to prevention and regression of atherosclerosis, independently of changes in macrophage and aorta gene expression.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo - FAPESP 12/04831-1 to MP, UFM and MLCCG; FAPESP 07/50387-8 to MP, 2011/15153-1 to PR, 06/52702-5 to DDFMRocco, 13/02854-7 to LS\ud Okuda, 12/19112-0 to AML, 10/50108-4 to GC, 12/18724-2 to KS, 11/04631-0 to DJG, 09/53412-9 to RS Pinto; 12/12088-7 to RTI, 14/07155 to GFConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (158314/\ud 2014-0 to DJG