The legitimacy of leadership in international climate change negotiations.

Leadeship is an essential ingredient in reaching international agreements and overcoming the collective action problems associated with responding to climate change. In this study, we aim at answering two questions that are crucial for understanding the legitimacy of leadership in international climate change negotiations. Based on the responses of the three consecutive surveys distributed at COPs 14-16, we seek first to chart which actors are actually recognized as leaders by climate change negotiation participants. Second, we aim to explain what motivates COP participants to support different actors as leaders. Both these questions are indeed crucial for understanding the role, importance, and legitimacy of leadership in the international climate change regime. Our results show that the leadership landscape in this issue area is fragmented, with no one clear-cut leader, and strongly suggest that it is imperative for any actor seeking recognition as climate change leader to be perceived as being devoted to promoting the common good.

Development Strategy and Relative Bioavailability of a Pediatric Tablet Formulation of Ticagrelor.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Ticagrelor is a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor approved as an antiplatelet drug for patients with acute coronary syndrome or a history of myocardial infarction. Ticagrelor is also being investigated for the reduction of vaso-occlusive crises in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease. A pediatric formulation suitable for this age range was developed; the development strategy is described. Primary objectives were determining the relative bioavailability of ticagrelor pediatric tablets and granules for oral suspension to the adult immediate-release tablet, and the pediatric tablets taken whole and dispersed/suspended in water to the granules for oral suspension. Bioequivalence between the pediatric tablet taken whole or suspended in water was also assessed. Secondary objectives were comparing the formulations' safety and tolerability. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, four-period, cross-over, single-dose study. Pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed for ticagrelor and its active metabolite AR-C124910XX. Bioequivalence was concluded if the 90% confidence intervals of the maximum plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve ratios were contained completely within the 80.00-125.00% limits for ticagrelor/AR-C124910XX. RESULTS: Forty-four healthy adults (95% white; 57% male) were included. Similar bioavailability of ticagrelor (and AR-C124910XX) was demonstrated for all comparisons tested. Ticagrelor pediatric tablets taken whole were bioequivalent to pediatric tablets suspended in water. The plasma concentration-time profiles for ticagrelor and AR-C124910XX were similar, showing rapid ticagrelor absorption and AR-C124910XX formation. All formulations were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Similar bioavailability of a new pediatric dispersible tablet formulation of ticagrelor for use across a wide age range of pediatric patients was demonstrated compared with other oral ticagrelor formulations. CLINICALTRIALS. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT03126695. EUDRACT: 2017-000371-93.

Printed dose-recording tag based on organic complementary circuits and ferroelectric nonvolatile memories.

We have demonstrated a printed electronic tag that monitors time-integrated sensor signals and writes to nonvolatile memories for later readout. The tag is additively fabricated on flexible plastic foil and comprises a thermistor divider, complementary organic circuits, and two nonvolatile memory cells. With a supply voltage below 30 V, the threshold temperatures can be tuned between 0 °C and 80 °C. The time-temperature dose measurement is calibrated for minute-scale integration. The two memory bits are sequentially written in a thermometer code to provide an accumulated dose record.

Scalable printed electronics: an organic decoder addressing ferroelectric non-volatile memory.

Scalable circuits of organic logic and memory are realized using all-additive printing processes. A 3-bit organic complementary decoder is fabricated and used to read and write non-volatile, rewritable ferroelectric memory. The decoder-memory array is patterned by inkjet and gravure printing on flexible plastics. Simulation models for the organic transistors are developed, enabling circuit designs tolerant of the variations in printed devices. We explain the key design rules in fabrication of complex printed circuits and elucidate the performance requirements of materials and devices for reliable organic digital logic.