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Purpose: To find out the prevalence and risk factors for abdominal wall hernias in the general Russian population.Methods: 783 residents of Kryukovo rural community (Central Russia) of 10 > years were enrolled. Medical history was taken and clinical examination was performed documenting hernia presence. Ultrasound examination was performed in inconclusive situations. We considered residents with hernias at the time of examination, as well as those who had previously undergone hernia repair, to be hernia positive.Results: There were 298 (38%) men and 485 (62%) women (mean age 49.3). Abdominal wall hernias have been found in 20.9% of population. 31.2% of men and 14.6% of women were affected (p < 0.0001). Umbilical hernias was found in 10.2%, groin hernias in 8.3%, incisional in 2.4% of residents. 72% of individuals with hernia reported local pain. 70% had never asked for medical advice before, 30% had undergone hernia repair before. Male gender, age, family history were confirmed as risk factors for any hernia with OR 3.9, 1.03 and 2.7, respectively (p < 0.01). For groin hernias male gender, age, family history and rough labour were confirmed with ORs 9.2, 1.03, 2.9 (p < 0.01) and 2.1 (p < 0.05). Risk factors for umbilical hernias were male gender with OR 2.2 (p < 0.01), age, family history and BMI with ORs 1.02, 1.8 and 1.08 (p < 0.05).Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate prevalence of abdominal wall hernias and its risk factors in Russia. The results confirm that hernias are common in a general population pointing the need for improvement of surgical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CO emission from soils in the course of the long-term postagrogenic succession on Calcic Chernozems under meadow-steppe vegetation was studied. Seasonal dynamics of the emission at different stages of the restoration of natural vegetation and long-term changes in the main pools of carbon in the soils and phytomass were examined. These data were used to create a regression model of the CO emission on the basis of data on the soil water content and temperature with a temporal resolution of 3 h. The results were compared with an analogous study of the postagrogenic succession on sandy Agropodzols of southern taiga. It was found that the long-term pattern of the CO emission has a bimodal character. The first maximum corresponds to the early stages of the succession (2-8 years) and is ensured by a sharp intensification of respiration in the organomineral soil horizons under the impact of plant species typical of these stages, active growth of their underground parts, and, probably, activation of microbiota in the rhizosphere. The second maximum of the emission is observed at the final stages of the succession and is mainly ensured by the increasing pool of steppe litter. A decrease in the soil temperature because of the thermal insulation of the soil surface by the accumulating litter and organic substances in the topsoil horizons leads to a temporary decrease in the emission intensity at the middle stages of the succession, when the litter pool is still not vary large. The restoration of the initial level of the CO emission typical of the natural cenoses is achieved in about 80-100 years after the abandoning of the cultivated fields, i.e., considerably faster than that in the southern taiga zone (150-170 years). The results of modeling suggest that this is caused by the considerable accumulation of steppe litter, organic substances, and phytomass in the topsoil horizons rather than by the somewhat increased heat supply owing to longer duration of vegetation season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]