CVD of BaF2_2 with new stable and volatile complexes of barium(II)

The new $\beta$-diketone, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,7,7,8,8,9,9,9-tetradecafluorononane-4,6-dione (HTDFND) has been prepared and employed in the formation of a complex of Ba. A complex of the same metal derived from the $\beta$-diketone, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,7,7,7,-decafluoroheptane-2,4-dione (HDFHD) has also been prepared. The compounds have the formula [ M(TDFND)$_2$H$_2$O] or [ M(DHFD)$_2$H$_2$O] . The complexes have been characterised by analytical and spectroscopic means. Simultaneous thermal analysis at one atmosphere reveals that the compounds lose water but then sublime, and in the case of [ Ba(TDFND)$_2$H$_2$O] without any decomposition. [ Ba(TDFND)$_2$H$_2$O] is the first barium complex for which this is the case and it can be dehydrated to give [ Ba(TDFND)$_2$] which is also volatile. This suggests that [ Ba(TDFND)$_2$H$_2$O] could be a suitable precursor for the CVD growth of BaF$_2$. This has been investigated. On silicon substrates complete orientation in the (111) direction is observed. Changes in the film growth rate with time are attributed to slow reorganisation of the crystal structure of [ Ba(TDFND)$_2$]

Educational differences in the impact of pictorial cigarette warning labels on smokers:Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Europe Surveys

Objective To examine (1) the impact of pictorial cigarette warning labels on changes in self-reported warning label responses: warning salience, cognitive responses, forgoing cigarettes and avoiding warnings, and (2) whether these changes differed by smokers' educational level. Methods Longitudinal data of smokers from two survey waves of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Europe Surveys were used. In France and the UK, pictorial warning labels were implemented on the back of cigarette packages between the two survey waves. In Germany and the Netherlands, the text warning labels did not change. Findings Warning salience decreased between the surveys in France (OR=0.81, p=0.046) and showed a non-significant increase in the UK (OR=1.30, p=0.058), cognitive responses increased in the UK (OR=1.34, p Conclusions The warning labels implemented in France in 2010 and in the UK in 2008 with pictures on one side of the cigarette package did not succeed in increasing warning salience, but did increase avoidance. The labels did not increase educational inequalities among continuing smokers

Social norms towards smoking and electronic cigarettes among adult smokers in seven European Countries: Findings from the EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys

Introduction: This study explores whether current smokers' social norms towards smoking and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) vary across seven European countries alongside smoking and e-cigarette prevalence rates. At the time of surveying, England had the lowest current smoking prevalence and Greece the highest. Hungary, Romania and Spain had the lowest prevalence of any e-cigarette use and England the highest. Methods: Respondents were adult (≥18 years) current smokers from the 2016 EUREST-PLUS ITC (Romania, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Greece, Germany) and ITC 4CV England Surveys (N=7779). Using logistic regression, associations between country and (a) smoking norms and (b) e-cigarette norms were assessed, adjusting for age, sex, income, education, smoking status, heaviness of smoking, and e-cigarette status. Results: Compared with England, smoking norms were higher in all countries: reporting that at least three of five closest friends smoke (19% vs 65-84% [AOR=6.9-24.0; Hungary-Greece]), perceiving that people important to them approve of smoking (8% vs 14-57% [1.9-51.1; Spain-Hungary]), perceiving that the public approves of smoking (5% vs 6-37% [1.7-15.8; Spain-Hungary]), disagreeing that smokers are marginalised (9% vs 16-50% [2.3-12.3; Poland-Greece]) except in Hungary. Compared with England: reporting that at least one of five closest friends uses e-cigarettes was higher in Poland (28% vs 36% [2.7]) but lower in Spain and Romania (28% vs 6-14% [0.3-0.6]), perceiving that the public approves of e-cigarettes was higher in Poland, Hungary and Greece (32% vs 36-40% [1.5-1.6]) but lower in Spain and Romania in unadjusted analyses only (32% vs 24-26%), reporting seeing e-cigarette use in public at least some days was lower in all countries (81% vs 12.55% [0.1-0.4]; Spain-Greece). Conclusions: Smokers from England had the least pro-smoking norms. Smokers from Spain had the least pro-e-cigarette norms. Friend smoking and disagreeing that smokers are marginalised broadly aligned with country-level current smoking rates. Seeing e-cigarette use in public broadly aligned with countrylevel any e-cigarette use. Generally, no other norms aligned with product prevalence. © 2019 East KA

European adult smokers’ perceptions of the harmfulness of e-cigarettes relative to combustible cigarettes: cohort findings from the 2016 and 2018 EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys

Background: This study presents perceptions of the harmfulness of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) relative to combustible cigarettes among smokers from six European Union (EU) countries, prior to the implementation of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), and 2 years post-TPD. Methods: Data were drawn from the EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys, a cohort study of adult smokers (≥18 years) from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Spain. Data were collected in 2016 (pre-TPD: N ¼ 6011) and 2018 (post-TPD: N ¼ 6027). Weighted generalized estimating equations were used to estimate perceptions of the harmfulness of e-cigarettes compared to combustible cigarettes (less harmful, equally harmful, more harmful or ‘don’t know’). Results: In 2016, among respondents who were aware of e-cigarettes (72.2%), 28.6% reported that they perceived e-cigarettes to be less harmful than cigarettes (range 22.0% in Spain to 34.1% in Hungary). In 2018, 72.2% of respondents were aware of e-cigarettes, of whom 28.4% reported perceiving that e-cigarettes are less harmful. The majority of respondents perceived e-cigarettes to be equally or more harmful than cigarettes in both 2016 (58.5%) and 2018 (61.8%, P > 0.05). Overall, there were no significant changes in the perceptions that e-cigarettes are less, equally or more harmful than cigarettes, but ‘don’t know’ responses significantly decreased from 12.9% to 9.8% (P ¼ 0.036). The only significant change within countries was a decrease in ‘don’t know’ responses in Spain (19.3–9.4%, P ¼ .001). Conclusions: The majority of respondents in these six EU countries perceived e-cigarettes to be equally or more harmful than combustible cigarettes. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association