Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are an alternative to traditional tobacco cigarette smoking. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use among university students from Central and Eastern Europe and to investigate personal characteristics associated with cigarette and e-cigarette smoking. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was performed between 2017–2018 among university students in five European countries: Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Slovakia. The questionnaire included 46 questions related to the frequency and habits of traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes use. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 14,352 students (8800 medical; aged 20.9 ± 2.4 years) with an overall response rate of 72.2%. Two-thirds of the respondents had smoked a traditional tobacco cigarette and 43.7% had used an e-cigarette. Overall current smoking status included 12.3% traditional cigarette smokers, 1.1% e-cigarette users, and 1.8% were dual users with the remainder being non-smokers. Smoking status differed between the research centres (p < 0.001). Females were less likely to try either cigarettes (OR = 0.83) or e-cigarettes (OR = 0.62) and were less likely to be current cigarette (OR = 0.64), e-cigarette (OR = 0.34), or dual users (OR = 0.33) than males. Perception of e-cigarettes significantly differed between smokers and non-smokers (p < 0.001). Among university students, cigarettes are more popular than e-cigarettes.

Our aim is to assess the smoking cessation and vaping cessation activity, including quit attempts and willingness to quit among university students in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as to investigate personal characteristics associated with smoking cessation and vaping cessation attempts. Data were collected by questionnaire which included 46 questions on cigarette and e-cigarette use. Questionnaires were obtained from 14,352 university students (aged 20.9 ± 2.4 years; cooperation rate of 72.2%). For the purposes of this analysis, only data from exclusive cigarette smokers (n = 1716), exclusive e-cigarette users (n = 129), and dual users (216) were included. Of all cigarette smokers, 51.6% had previously tried to quit smoking and 51.5% declared a willingness to quit cigarette smoking in the near future. Among all e-cigarette users only 13.9% had ever tried to quit using the e-cigarette and 25.2% declared a willingness to give up using e-cigarette in the near future. The majority of the group did not use pharmacotherapy to quit cigarette (87.5%) or e-cigarette (88.9%) use. Our results indicate that while most university students have some desire to quit conventional smoking, those who use e-cigarettes do not have the same desire.

Background. Of particular interest is a study of the consumption rates of some psychoactive drugs in a specific group of medical students and students-athletes, who are advocates of a healthy lifestyle according to their occupation. Objectives. The purpose of this paper was the evaluation of the prevalence of tobacco smoking and e-cigarette smoking (vaping) among medical students and students-athletes and the research of students' motivation and attitudes towards smoking in its various forms. Material and methods. 1,725 medical students and students-athletes were surveyed. All the respondents were divided into 4 groups: exclusive tobacco smokers, exclusive e-cigarette smokers, dual smokers (both e-cigarette and tobacco cigarette users), non-smoking students who hadn't smoked for at least 12 months. Results. 1,515 of the surveyed students (87.8%) declared themselves as non-smokers, 160 (9.3%) respondents smoked traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes were used much less often than traditional cigarettes-50 respondents (2.8%). One-time tobacco smoking was recorded in the medical history of 992 (57.5%) of students; e-smoking-780 (45.2%). Statistically, men appeared to have been twice as common as women among both tobacco and e-cigarette smokers. Dual smokers used traditional cigarettes less often than electronic cigarettes. This group more often chose e-liquid with a higher level of nicotine. An attempt to stop smoking was the most important stimulus of opting for vaping (90.5%). Conclusions. Among the students of both groups, vaping is not frequent and not a popular practice compared to traditional tobacco smoking. Everyday smokers prevailed among dual smokers and not among exclusive e-cigarette smokers. E-smokers, more often than other respondents, believe that vaping is safe for their health and the health of others.

Introduction.Construction of engineering structures is impossible without building and road machines. The large volume of financing is allocated for such machines’ purchase. The main ways of reducing costs of the equipment consist in more rational operation of the equipment and also in decrease of equipment’s cost by constructive changes. The paper demonstrates the new design of the single-bucket hydraulic excavator with smaller cost.Materials and methods.The main ways of cost reduction for construction machines are more rational operation and depreciation of a design with the required characteristics’ maintaining. The paper describes constructive changes of the working equipment of the single-bucket hydraulic excavator, which allow decreasing the production costs.Results.The authors describe the new bucket design of the single-bucket hydraulic excavator. Moreover, the authors carry out the analysis of the existing buckets’ design. The paper also illustrates the functioning on bucket forces while digging process. The authors describe the solutions of the problem for productivity increase of the single-bucket in hydraulic excavators. In addition, the authors make the scheme of the bucket loading while digging process. Such scheme helps to reduce resistance forces of digging.Discussion and conclusions.As a result, the paper presents the design of the working equipment of the hydraulic excavator’s single-bucket, which allows reducing resistance forces of digging. Such results would help to establish buckets of bigger capacity and would lead to the productivity increase.

Омский государственный технический университет, г. Омск эКСПеРиМентальные иССлеДовАния применения элеКтРОгиДРаВличеСКОгО эФФеКта л. а. ЮтКина Для УДАления оБлоя С вывоДов плАСтмАССовых ДетАлей В статье представлено описание электрогидравлического эффекта л. а. Юткина. Приведена электрическая схема лабораторной установки для очистки выводов пластмассовых деталей, а также конструкция опытной установки и сменных приспособлений, применяемых для снятия облоя с выводов пластмассовых деталей. Представлены результаты экспериментальных исследований по предварительной и окончательной очистке выводов пластмассовых деталей от облоя. Для полного снятия толстого облоя с поверхности вывода и из отверстий затрачено от 3 до 5 секунд на деталь. Полное удаление пленки облоя на выводе детали производится за 10-20 секунд. Ключевые слова: выводы пластмассовых деталей, электрогидравлический эффект, облой, искровой разряд, наклеп. Статья поступила в редакцию 24.10.2018 г. © В. Ф. Ковалевский, С. Б. Скобелев Рис. 4. Автомат для очистки выводов деталей: 1-вибробункер с ориентирующим устройством; 2-диск с фиксаторами; 3-обрабатываемые детали; 4-накопитель; А-А-узел черновой очистки; Б-Б-узел чистовой очистки