An introduction to RIVPACS

RIVPACS (River InVertebrate Prediction And Classification System) is a software package developed by the Institute of Freshwater Ecology (IFE). The primary application is to assess the biological quality of rivers within the UK. RIVPACS offers site-specific predictions of the macroinvertebrate fauna to be expected in the absence of major environmental stress. The expected fauna is derived by RIVPACS using a small suite of environmental characteristics. The biological evaluation is then obtained by comparing the fauna observed at the site with the expected fauna. RIVPACS also includes a site classification based on the macroinvertebrate fauna of the component reference sites. New sites, judged by their fauna to be of high biological quality, may be allocated to classification groups within the fixed RIVPACS classification. This has potential for evaluating sites for conservation. In this chapter, the origins and history of the RIVPACS approach are described, including major scientific and operational developments over the life of the project. RIVPACS III is described in detail and predictions at different taxonomic levels are demonstrated. The value of the reference dataset for river management and conservation is examined, and the chapter concludes with a brief consideration of some future challenges.

Using RIVPACS for studies on conservation and biodiversity

Invertebrate conservation relies not only on public support and political will, but also on possessing an adequate understanding of the distribution and ecology of invertebrate species and communities. In the UK, RIVPACS is making an important contribution to assessing the conservation importance of river invertebrate assemblages. So far, work has largely centred on using RIVPACS as an integral part of SERCON (System for Evaluating Rivers for Conservation), in which data collected using the standard RIVPACS method are interpreted with reference to conservation criteria such as species richness and representativeness. Applications of RIVPACS to other areas of conservation - whether providing information on the ecological requirements of rare species, monitoring the success of river restoration projects, or making broader assessments of sustainability - are probably more limited, but merit further examination. It is important to develop closer links between RIVPACS and techniques such as SERCON and RHS (River Habitat Survey) in order to maximise the benefit each can bring tostudies on conservation and biodiversity. It should also be recognised that there are limitations in transferring such systems to other countries where approaches to nature conservation may be very different.

Freshwater biology and water supply in Britain

This paper is designed to give a general account of freshwater biology as it bears on waterworks practice. Most water that is used for consumption will commonly go through a storage reservoir. Here special reference is given to the biological relations in standing waters, the biological control of water supplies, methods of plankton estimation, the biology of slow sand filtration and the use of algicides.

Literatura luso-afro-brasileira: o leitor-criança de objeto a sujeito na recepção

O corpus desta dissertação tem por objetivo a análise das obras A Maior flor do Mundo de José Saramago, O Gato e o Escuro de Mia Couto e O Mistério do Coelho Pensante de Clarice Lispector para o público infantil. A análise empreendida tem como referencial teórico a Estética da Recepção de Hans Robert Jauss e a Teoria do Efeito Estético de Wolfgang Iser, correntes que figuram o leitor como elemento atuante no ato da leitura, convidando-o a mergulhar nas entrelinhas dos textos e preencher lacunas ou hiatos, deixados pelos autores que mobilizam o leitor a formular o que não foi dito através da imaginação. A linguagem das obras mencionadas age como instrumento de percepção do leitor e símbolo da infância, pois, tornar-se-ão prazerosa, fantástica e maravilhosa sem a função disciplinadora e moralista que, anteriormente, inibia a criança de se expressar com liberdade. Ao trabalhar com conceitos como recepção, efeito, horizonte de expectativas e leitor implícito, busca-se explicar como se dá a leitura e a sua inserção no contexto das práticas culturais de produção de sentido. As obras estudadas contribuem para a formação de leitores críticos e reflexivos ao questionarem a linguagem literária diante das experiências da vida. As ilustrações das obras não se apresentam somente como simples complementação dos textos verbais, mas também, adquirem significados e expressões estéticas

Global and local challenges for best practices in assessment. The 9th Conference on the International Test Commission. Book of abstracts

The 9th International Test Commission Conference (ITC) took place at the Miramar Palace in San Sebastian, Spain, between the 2nd and 5th of July, 2014. The Conference was titled, “Global and Local Challenges for Best Practices in Assessment.” The International Test Commission, ITC (www.intestcom.org), is an association of national psychological associations, test commissions, publishers, and other organizations, as well as individuals who are committed to the promotion of effective testing and assessment policies and to the proper development, evaluation, and uses of educational and psychological instruments. The ITC facilitates the exchange of information among members and stimulates their cooperation on problems related to the construction, distribution, and uses of psychological and educational tests and other psychodiagnostic tools. This volume contains the abstracts of the contributions presented at the 9th International Test Commission Conference. The four themes of the Conference were closely linked to the goals of the ITC: - Challenges and Opportunities in International Assessment. - Application of New Technoloogies and New Psychometric Models in Testing. - Standards and Guidelines for Best Testing Practices. - Testing in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts.