Régimen jurídico de los activos eléctricos en Colombia: planteamiento general y principales problemas.

La energía eléctrica y los bienes o activos eléctricos (de acuerdo con la definición técnica) con que se lleva a cabo su prestación, goza de una particular regulación y normatividad, explicables por la importancia capital de este servicio público, sumado al diseño institucional traído por la constitución de 1991, lo que la hace especialmente compleja, dinámica y abierta a precisiones. Es ese sentido, se parte de un entendimiento inicial de todos los activos que conforman una red de generación, transmisión y distribución eléctrica, para de esa forma comenzar a esbozar el régimen jurídico de los mismos, dependiendo de su posición dentro de la cadena de suministro eléctrico. Una vez concluido este acercamiento, se abordan los principales problemas previsibles desde una perspectiva puramente académica, como por ejemplo el relacionado con el alcance de los conceptos de la CREG y su valor normativo, la presunta inembargabilidad de los bienes destinados a la prestación de servicios públicos en cabeza de comunidades organizadas y el problema de la propiedad de particulares sobre activos conformantes de la red de suministro eléctrico y la salida normativa a ese conflicto (pues no debe olvidarse que los propietarios de activos de uso general, de acuerdo con la CREG, deben ser prestadores de servicios públicos domiciliarios) de modo tal que se respeten los derechos de propiedad. De cada uno de estos interrogantes surgen soluciones que lejos de zanjar las discusiones al respecto, buscan abrir el debate sobre un tema de tan capital importancia.

El quadern autobiogràfic: una proposta per aprendre la llengua. 'El cuaderno autobiográfico : una propuesta para aprender la lengua'.

La primera Jornada de intercambio de experiencias en torno al Plan de acogida lingüística y cultural, conocido como PALIC, tuvo lugar el 31 de marzo del 2003. Las autoras son profesoras del IES Isaac Albéniz de Badalona

Antropologia i etnologia. 'Antropología y etnología'.

Resumen tomado de la publicación

Lupus nephritis in colombians: Contrasts and comparisons with other populations

Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most serious complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) since it is the major predictor of poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical and immunological characteristics associated with LN development during the course of SLE in Colombians. Therefore, patients with SLE followed at five different referral centers in Medellin, Bogota, and Cali were included in this cross-sectional and multicenter study. Factors influencing LN were assessed by conditional logistic regression analysis, adjusting by gender, age at onset, duration of disease, and city of origin. The entire sample population included 467 patients, of whom 51% presented with LN. The presence of anti-dsDNA antibodies (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 2.06; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.16–3.65), pleuritis (AOR, 3.82; 95% CI, 1.38–10.54), and hypertension (AOR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.23–5.62) were positively associated with LN, whereas the presence of anti-La antibodies was a protective factor against LN development (AOR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.19–0.85). A review of literature on LN in different populations is made. The identified clinical- and laboratory-associated factors would assist earlier diagnosis and guide decisions on therapeutic interventions on this critical and frequent complication of SLE.

Infectious aspects and the etiopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis

Infections are believed to contribute to the maturation of the immune system from the innate to the adaptive phases and therefore may take part in the induction of autoimmune conditions. In the current study, we present an extensive analysis conducted on sera samples of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in order to seek evidence of previous or coexisting infectious processes using the Bio-Rad BioPlex immunoassay analyzer. We detected higher rates of serological evidence of infections with Epstein–Barr virus and cytomegalovirus viruses. Our findings may indicate a role of these viruses in the pathogenesis of RA.

Should rituximab be considered as the first-choice treatment for severe autoimmune rheumatic diseases?

The present study aimed to assess the tolerance and efficacy of rituximab (RTX), a chimeric IgG1 monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 receptor present in B lymphocytes, in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD). For this purpose, patients treated with RTX and their respective clinical charts were comprehensively examined. Indications for treatment were a refractory character of the disease, inefficacy or intolerance of other immunosuppressors. Activity indexes (SLEDAI, DAS28, and specific clinical manifestations) were used to evaluate efficacy. Serious side effects were also recorded. Seventy-four patients were included. Forty-three patients had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 21 had rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 8 had Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), and 2 had Takayasu’s arteritis (TA). RTX was well-tolerated in 66 (89%) patients. In 8 patients (SLE = 3, SS = 3, RA = 2), serious side effects lead to discontinuation. The mean follow-up period was 12 ± 7.8 (2–35) months. The efficacy of RTX was registered in 58/66 (87%) patients, of whom 36 (83%) had SLE, 18/21 (85%) had RA, 3/8 (37%) had SS, and 1 had TA. The mean time of efficacy was 6.3 ± 5.1 weeks. A significant steroid-sparing effect was noticed in half of the patients. These results add further evidence for the use of RTX in AIRD. Based on its risk–benefit ratio, RTX might be used as the first-choice treatment for patients with severe AIRD.