Assessment of Triglyceride Droplet Crystallization Using Mixtures of β-Lactoglobulin and Phospholipids as Emulsifiers

Many applications in the life science and food industries require (semi-)crystalline oil-in-water (O/W) dispersions. Unfortunately, high supercooling and, thus, low temperatures are often needed to induce the crystallization of droplets. As low molecular weight emulsifiers (LMWEs) are able to act as nucleation templates, they might help to decrease the required level of supercooling. Furthermore, proteins and LMWEs are frequently co-formulated to improve the colloidal stability of emulsions and dispersions. Hence, choosing a suitable protein and LMWE mixture would allow for achieving specific product properties for controlling the solid fat content (SFC) and take advantage of the stabilization mechanisms of both emulsifiers. Therefore, this study focuses on the impact of the co-existence of β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) and phospholipids (PLs) LMWEs on the SFC of triglyceride (TAG) droplets at isothermal conditions using a thermo-optical method. When β-lg alone was used as an emulsifier, a maximum SFC of 80% was obtained at a supercooling of 32 K and 42 K for trilaurin and tripalmitin, respectively. The SFC could be increased to 100% using a PL containing saturated fatty acids (FAs) and a small hydrophilic headgroup. At the same supercooling, a PL containing saturated FAs and a large hydrophilic headgroup led to a maximum SFC of 80%. At lower supercooling, the SFC was reduced with this PL by 10% compared to β-lg alone. In addition, when the PLs had more time to adsorb and rearrange with ß-lg at the interface, even lower SFCs were observed compared to cooling directly after emulsification

Influence of the Triglyceride Composition, Surfactant Concentration and Time–Temperature Conditions on the Particle Morphology in Dispersions

Many applications for crystalline triglyceride-in-water dispersions exist in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. The main dispersion structures influencing product properties are the particle morphology and size distribution. These can be set by the formulation and process parameters, but temperature fluctuations may alter them afterwards. As the dispersed phase often consists of complex fats, there are many formulation variables influencing these product properties. In this study, we aimed to gain a better understanding of the influence of the dispersed-phase composition on the crystallization and melting behavior of these systems. We found that different particle morphologies can be obtained by varying the dispersed-phase composition. Droplets smaller than 1 µm were obtained after melting due to self-emulsification (SE), but these changes and coalescence events were only partly influenced by the melting range of the fat. With increasing surfactant concentration, the SE tendency increased. The smallest x50,3 of 3 µm was obtained with a surfactant concentration of 0.5 wt%. We attributed this to different mechanisms leading to the droplets’ breakup during melting, which we observed via thermo-optical microscopy. In addition, SE and coalescence are a function of the cooling and heating profiles. With slow heating (0.5 K/min), both phenomena are more pronounced, as the particles have more time to undergo the required mechanisms

Welche Macht darf es denn Sein? Tracing ‘Power’ in German Foreign Policy Discourse

The relationship between ‘Germany’ and ‘power’ remains a sensitive issue. While observers tend to agree that Germany has regained the status of the most powerful country in Europe, there is debate whether that is to be welcomed or whether that is a problem. Underpinning this debate are views, both within Germany and amongst its neighbours, regarding the kind of power Germany has, or should (not) have. Against this backdrop, the article reviews the dominant role conceptions used in the expert discourse on German foreign policy since the Cold War that depict Germany as a particular type of ‘power’. Specifically, we sketch the evolution of three prominent conceptions (constrained power, civilian power, hegemonic power) and the recent emergence of a new one (shaping power). The article discusses how these labels have emerged to give meaning to Germany’s position in international relations, points to their normative and political function, and to the limited ability of such role images to tell us much about how Germany actually exercises power

Assessment of Triglyceride Droplet Crystallization Using Mixtures of β-Lactoglobulin and Phospholipids as Emulsifiers

Many applications in the life science and food industries require (semi-)crystalline oil-in-water (O/W) dispersions. Unfortunately, high supercooling and, thus, low temperatures are often needed to induce the crystallization of droplets. As low molecular weight emulsifiers (LMWEs) are able to act as nucleation templates, they might help to decrease the required level of supercooling. Furthermore, proteins and LMWEs are frequently co-formulated to improve the colloidal stability of emulsions and dispersions. Hence, choosing a suitable protein and LMWE mixture would allow for achieving specific product properties for controlling the solid fat content (SFC) and take advantage of the stabilization mechanisms of both emulsifiers. Therefore, this study focuses on the impact of the co-existence of β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) and phospholipids (PLs) LMWEs on the SFC of triglyceride (TAG) droplets at isothermal conditions using a thermo-optical method. When β-lg alone was used as an emulsifier, a maximum SFC of 80% was obtained at a supercooling of 32 K and 42 K for trilaurin and tripalmitin, respectively. The SFC could be increased to 100% using a PL containing saturated fatty acids (FAs) and a small hydrophilic headgroup. At the same supercooling, a PL containing saturated FAs and a large hydrophilic headgroup led to a maximum SFC of 80%. At lower supercooling, the SFC was reduced with this PL by 10% compared to β-lg alone. In addition, when the PLs had more time to adsorb and rearrange with ß-lg at the interface, even lower SFCs were observed compared to cooling directly after emulsification

Technical Summary

�Mitigation�, in the context of climate change, is a human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases (GHGs). One of the central messages from Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is that the consequences of unchecked climate change for humans and natural ecosystems are already apparent and increasing. The most vulnerable systems are already experiencing adverse effects. Past GHG emissions have already put the planet on a track for substantial further changes in climate, and while there are many uncertainties in factors such as the sensitivity of the climate system many scenarios lead to substantial climate impacts, including direct harms to human and ecological well-being that exceed the ability of those systems to adapt fully. Because mitigation is intended to reduce the harmful effects of climate change, it is part of a broader policy framework that also includes adaptation to climate impacts. Mitigation, together with adaptation to climate change, contributes to the objective expressed in Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to stabilize �greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system [�] within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt [�] to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner�. However, Article 2 is hard to interpret, as concepts such as �dangerous� and �sustainable� have different meanings in different decision contexts (see Box TS.1). Moreover, natural science is unable to predict precisely the response of the climate system to rising GHG concentrations nor fully understand the harm it will impose on individuals, societies, and ecosystems. Article 2 requires that societies balance a variety of considerations�some rooted in the impacts of climate change itself and others in the potential costs of mitigation and adaptation

Multimessenger NuEM Alerts with AMON

The Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network (AMON), has developed a real-time multi-messenger alert system. The system performs coincidence analyses of datasets from gamma-ray and neutrino detectors, making the Neutrino-Electromagnetic (NuEM) alert channel. For these analyses, AMON takes advantage of sub-threshold events, i.e., events that by themselves are not significant in the individual detectors. The main purpose of this channel is to search for gamma-ray counterparts of neutrino events. We will describe the different analyses that make-up this channel and present a selection of recent results