Die Leseförderung in Spanien

Zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts ist in Spanien eine Leseförderungsoffensive gestartet worden, deren primäres Ziel es ist, die großen Schwächen der Lesegewohnheiten in der spanischen Bevölkerung zu beheben, und somit allen Bürgern den Zugang zur Informations- und Wissensgesellschaft zu ermöglichen. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit werden die historischen Hintergründe für die heutigen Defizite erläutert und eine Reihe von aktuellen Studien zum Leseverhalten der Spanier analysiert. Eine Untersuchung über das Verlagswesen und dessen Auswirkung auf die Lesehaltung der Gesellschaft, sowie eine genaue Darstellung des im Jahre 2007 erlassenen Gesetzes zur Buch-, Lektüre- und Bibliothekspolitik dienen dazu, einen Rahmen für die unternommenen Schritte zu bilden. In dem zweiten Teil richtet sich der Fokus auf die seit Beginn des Jahrhunderts gestarteten Maßnahmen zur Leseförderung, darunter, als integrativer Mittelpunkt den Leseförderungsplan der zentralen Regierung und weiter die Projekte der Landesregierungen und der Kommunen, sowie Aktionen die zum größten Teil auf private Initiative zurückgehen. Die öffentliche Präsentation des vom Bundeskulturministerium entwickelten, ersten, nationalen Leseförderungsplanes im Jahr 2001 markierte den Anfang für einen Wandelprozess in der Lesekultur des Landes. Im letzten Teil der Dissertation wird, angesichts der basalen Funktion der Bibliotheken als Zentren der Leseanimation, auf die Entwicklung des spanischen Bibliotheksystems in den letzten drei Dekaden und insbesondere der Öffentlichen und der Schulbibliotheken eingegangen.At the beginning of the 21st century the Spanish government launched the most important reading promotion campaign in the history of the country. The objective campaign, that still continues, is to correct the important deficiencies of the reading habits of the Spaniards and to guarantee the access to the information and knowledge society for every citizen. In the first part of the thesis, the author describes the historical reasons for the present reading deficiencies in the population. He also analyzes the most important studies about the reading habits in Spain. An investigation about the situation of the publishing world and its effects on the reading culture, and an account oft the law on Books, Reading and Libraries from 2007 helped to create the context in which the new efforts to improve the reading competence are taking place. In the second part of the work the author analyzes the most representative projects of reading promotion, that have been started from the central, but also from regional and municipal administrations, as well as from private initiators. The most important among these projects is the National Reading Promotion Plan. It was developed from the Spanish Ministry of Culture and has the function of an integration and reference point for all the local reading promotion actions in the country. The public presentation of this Plan in 2001 represented the beginning of a deep transformation process of the reading culture of the nation. As the libraries have always been indispensable centres for reading promotion, the last part of the thesis describes the development of the Spanish librarian system in the three last decades focusing special interest on the school and public libraries.

Heavy Metal Levels in Milk and Serum of Dairy Cows from Different Farms Located near an Industrial Area

Background: Heavy metals are toxic, non-biodegradable substances able to enter the food chain of cows and then transfer to their milk. This study investigated the relationship between the heavy metal concentrations in serum and milk and the environmental pollutants exposure at two different farms in Ragusa, Italy. Methods: To evaluate the concentrations of aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb), milk and serum samples were collected from 40 Friesian dairy cows from farm 1 at about 3.7 km from an industrial area (group 1) and 40 Friesian dairy cows from farm 2 at about 400 mt from a greenhouse and 6.0 km from a chemical fertilizer factory (group 2). Results: The concentrations of heavy metals measured in serum and milk showed no statistically significant differences between group 1 and group 2. No significant correlation between heavy metals in serum and milk in group 1 was observed. A positive correlation between Zn concentrations measured in milk and serum samples was observed in group 2 (r = 0.35, p = 0.03). Conclusions: The determination of heavy metals in serum and milk can be an important tool to detect the exposure to environmental pollutants and in monitoring the hygienic state of the environment in which milk is produced

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Resistance of Different Serotypes of <i>Salmonella enterica</i> from Livestock Farms in Southern Italy

The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Salmonella spp. isolated from livestock production systems in Sicily were determined. The antibiotic sensitivity of isolated Salmonella spp. and broad-spectrum beta-lactamase strains were assessed by detecting β-lactamases blaCTX-M IV, TEM, and OXA SHV, and β-lactamases blaCMY II, CTX-M I, CTX-M II, and DHA. In total, 93.3% of Salmonella spp. strains showed multi-drug resistance (MDR). A total of seven serotypes (i.e., Salmonella Infantis, S. Typhimurium (monophasic), S. Derby, S. Hadar, S. salamae, S. houtenae, S. Cardoner) showed high resistance values (R) (100–47%) to sulfonamides, tetracyclines, diaminopyrimidines, penicillins, and quinolones. The gene for β-lactamase blaTEM was found in S. Typhimurium (monophasic) and S. Derby, isolated from swine meat and feces samples; S. Hadar isolated from an insect sample; S. salamae isolated from an abrasive sponge on swine skin; S. houtenae isolated from chicken skin samples; and S. Cardoner isolated from a chicken meat sample. The gene blaCTX-M I was found in S. Infantis isolated from a chicken meat sample. The results gathered in the current study suggest that the resistance to antibiotics is continuously increasing. This represents a worrying perspective since they should be usually used as the last option for therapy against bacterial infections

Molecular epidemiology of canine parvovirus type 2 in Sicily, southern Italy: A geographical island, an epidemiological continuum

Since it emerged as a major dog pathogen, canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) has featured a remarkable genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, whose biological, epidemiological, and clinical impact is still debated. The continuous monitoring of this pathogen is thus of pivotal importance. In the present study, the molecular epidemiology of CPV-2 in Sicily, southern Italy, has been updated by analysing 215 nearly complete sequences of the capsid protein VP2, obtained from rectal swabs/faeces or tissue samples collected between 2019 and 2022 from 346 dogs with suspected infectious gastrointestinal disease. The presence of the original CPV-2 type (4%) and CPV-2a (9%), CPV-2b (18%), or CPV-2c (69%) variants was documented. Over the years, we observed a decrease in the frequency of CPV-2a/-2b and a rapid increase of CPV-2c frequency, with a progressive replacement of the European lineage of CPV-2c by the Asian lineage.The observed scenario, besides confirming epidemiological relevance of CPV-2, highlights the occurrence of antigenic variant shifts over time, with a trend toward the replacement of CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and the European lineage of CPV-2c by the emerging Asian CPV-2c lineage. The comparison with other Italian and international sequences suggests the occurrence of viral exchange with other Italian regions and different countries, although the directionality of such viral flows could not be often established with confidence. In several instances, potential CPV-2 introductions led to epidemiological dead ends. However, major, long-lasting clades were also identified, supporting successful infection establishment, local spreading, and evolution. These results, besides demonstrating the need for implementing more effective control measures to prevent viral introductions and minimize circulation, stress the relevance of routine monitoring activities as the only tool to effectively understand CPV-2 epidemiology and evolution, and develop adequate countermeasures

Biomolecular Analysis of Canine Distemper Virus Strains in Two Domestic Ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>)

Canine distemper is a contagious and severe systemic viral disease that affects domestic and wild carnivores worldwide. In this study, two adult female ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) were evaluated for cutaneous lesions. Scab, fur, and swab samples from the external auditory canal, cutaneous lesions, and scrapings were analyzed. Canine distemper virus (CDV)-positive samples underwent RT-PCR/RFLP with the restriction enzyme PsiI, and the hemagglutinin gene sequence was obtained. According to the restriction enzyme and sequence analyses, the viral strains were typed as CDV field strains that are included within the Europe lineage and distinct from those including vaccinal CDV strains. The sequence analysis showed the highest nucleotide identity rates in older Europe lineage CDV strains collected from dogs and a fox in Europe. This study is the first to report on CDV infection in ferrets in southern Italy and contributes to the current knowledge about natural CDV infection in this species. In conclusion, vaccination remains crucial for preventing the disease and counteracting cross-species infection. Molecular biology techniques can enable the monitoring of susceptible wild animals by ensuring the active surveillance of CDV spread

Detection and Molecular Characterization of Two Gammaherpesviruses from Pantesco Breed Donkeys during an Outbreak of Mild Respiratory Disease

Equid and asinine gammaherpesviruses (GHVs; genus Percavirus) are members of the Herpesviridae family. Though GHVs have been reported in horse populations, less studies are available on gammaherpesviral infections in donkeys. This study reports the co-infection with two GHVs in Pantesco breed donkeys, an endangered Italian donkey breed. Samples (n = 124) were collected on a breeding farm in Southern Italy from 40 donkeys, some of which were healthy or presented erosive tongue lesions and/or mild respiratory signs. Samples were analysed by using a set of nested PCRs targeting the DNA polymerase, glycoprotein B, and DNA-packaging protein genes, and sequence and phylogenetic analyses were performed. Twenty-nine donkeys (72.5%) tested positive, and the presence of Equid gammaherpesvirus 7 and asinine herpesvirus 5 was evidenced. In 11 animals, we found evidence for co-infection with viruses from the two species. Virions with herpesvirus-like morphology were observed by electron microscopic examination, and viruses were successfully isolated in RK-13-KY cell monolayers. The histological evaluation of tongue lesions revealed moderate lympho-granulocytic infiltrates and rare eosinophilic inclusions. The detection of GHVs in this endangered asinine breed suggests the need long-life monitoring within conservation programs and reinforces the need for further investigations of GHV’s pathogenetic role in asinine species