A method to quantify and value floodplain sediment and nutrient retention ecosystem services.

Floodplains provide critical ecosystem services to local and downstream communities by retaining floodwaters, sediments, and nutrients. The dynamic nature of floodplains is such that these areas can both accumulate sediment and nutrients through deposition, and export material downstream through erosion. Therefore, estimating floodplain sediment and nutrient retention should consider the net flux of both depositional and erosive processes. An ecosystem services framework was used to quantify and value the sediment and nutrient ecosystem service provided by floodplains in the Difficult Run watershed, a small (151 km2) suburban watershed located in the Piedmont of Virginia (USA). A sediment balance was developed for Difficult Run and two nested watersheds. The balance included upland sediment delivery to streams, stream bank flux, floodplain flux, and stream load. Upland sediment delivery was estimated using geospatial datasets and a modified Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation. Predictive models were developed to extrapolate field measurements of the flux of sediment, sediment-bound nitrogen (N), and sediment-bound phosphorus (P) from stream banks and floodplains to 3232 delineated stream segments in the study area. A replacement cost approach was used to estimate the economic value of the sediment and nutrient retention ecosystem service based on estimated net stream bank and floodplain flux of sediment-bound N for all streams in the study area. Results indicated the net fluvial fluxes of sediment, sediment-bound N, and sediment-bound P were -10,439 Mg yr-1 (net export), 57,300 kg-N yr-1 (net trapping), and 98 kg-P yr-1(net trapping), respectively. For sediment, floodplain retention was offset by substantial losses from stream bank erosion, particularly in headwater catchments, resulting in a net export of sediment. Nutrient retention in the floodplain exceeded that lost through stream bank erosion resulting in net retention of nutrients (TN and TP). Using a conservative cost estimate of $12.69 (USD) per kilogram of nitrogen, derived from wastewater treatment costs, the estimated annual value for sediment and nutrient retention on Difficult Run floodplains was $727,226 ±â€¯194,220 USD/yr. Values and differences in floodplain nitrogen retention among stream reaches can be used to target areas for floodplain conservation and stream restoration. The methods presented are scalable and transferable to other areas if appropriate datasets are available for validation.

Esterilização histeroscópica ambulatorial pelo procedimento Essure: stent tubário / Outpatient hysteroscopic sterilization by the Essure procedure: stent tubal

A esterilização cirúrgica é um dos métodos contraceptivos mais populares. Métodos tradicionais de esterilização permanente (por exemplo, ligadura tubária abdominal ou laparoscópica) utilizam a anestesia geral ou regional, necessitando de incisão na parede abdominal ou introdução de trocaters, expondo a paciente aos riscos intrínsecos ao procedimento cirúrgico e à obrigatoriedade da recuperação pós-operatória. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dos Estados Unidos aprovou em 2002 o sistema de stent tubário Essure. O Essure oclui as trompas estimulando a fibrose tecidual e a subsequente cicatrização. Esse é um artigo de revisão, que tem o objetivo de apresentar esse método aos tocoginecologistas brasileiros, como uma alternativa eficaz e segura para uso na nossa população. O Hospital da Mulher Mariska Ribeiro é atualmente Centro de Referência no Brasil para o Essure já tendo realizado cerca de 1000 procedimentos.

Surgical sterilization is a popular contraceptive method. Traditional methods of permanent sterilization (eg, abdominal or laparoscopic tubal ligation) use general or regional anesthesia, requiring incision in the abdominal wall or introduction of trocars, exposing the patient to the inherent risks of the surgical procedure and the requirement of postoperative recovery. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States in 2002 approved the Essure tubal stent system. The Essure occludes the fallopian tubes stimulating tissue fibrosis and subsequent healing. This is a review article, which aims to present this method to Brazilian obstetricians and gynecologists as an effective and safe alternative for use in our population. The Hospital da Mulher Mariska Ribeiro is currently a Reference Center in Brazil for the Essure having already performed about 1000 procedures.