Interview of Margaret Peggy Emme

Margaret “Peggy” Walsh Emme was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1957 at Nazareth Hospital. Her parents are Marita A. Dunphy and Richard J. Walsh. They both owned business while Mrs. Emme was a child. Her mother owned a small boutique in the basement of her parents’ house (Mrs. Emme’s maternal grandparents) and her father owned a local tavern. Mrs. Emme would help out at both of these businesses. Mrs. Emme is the oldest of five children. Her four younger brothers are: Richard, Michael, Brian, and John. She attended Catholic school as a child, first attending St. Bernard’s Parochial School and then St. Hubert’s Catholic High School for Girls. Mrs. Emme graduated from St. Hubert’s in 1975. She was married twice. She married her first husband, Mr. Eddie Laurer in 1975. Mrs. Emme remains married to her second husband, James L. Emme, whom she married in 1984. She has mothered two children: a daughter, Jamie Emme, and a son, James “Foz” Emme. Both of her children graduated from LaSalle University. Mrs. Emme herself graduated from LaSalle in 2008 and 2011, respectively. She received an AA Liberal Arts in 2008 and a BS Business Administration in 2011. Throughout her life, Mrs. Emme has spent time working in both the corporate world and the academic one. She worked at Film Corporation of America, General Accident Life Assurance Corporation of America, Inter Space Interior Design, and Spiegel. She has also served as a lunch mother at St. Matthew’s Parochial School and has held various positions at LaSalle University. For example, Mrs. Emme worked under three separate university presidents as their back up secretary. The presidents were: Br. Joseph Burke, FSC; Mr. Nicholas Giordano, and Br. Michael McGinnis, FSC. Mrs. Emme claims to have a close relationship with several of the Christian Brothers. She also worked under two Vice Presidents of Enrollment Services: Mr. Ray Ritchie and Mr. John Dolan. Currently, Mrs. Emme is the Assistant Director of Transfer Admissions at LaSalle University. Mrs. Emme had not been interviewed previously and she offers valuable insights since she experienced LaSalle as a student, employee, and mother of alumni. Furthermore, she has interesting takes on the differences between corporate and academia and she speaks freely of her experiences here at LaSalle University

Evaluation of pre-analytical factors affecting plasma DNA analysis.

Pre-analytical factors can significantly affect circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis. However, there are few robust methods to rapidly assess sample quality and the impact of pre-analytical processing. To address this gap and to evaluate effects of DNA extraction methods and blood collection tubes on cfDNA yield and fragment size, we developed a multiplexed droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay with 5 short and 4 long amplicons targeting single copy genomic loci. Using this assay, we compared 7 cfDNA extraction kits and found cfDNA yield and fragment size vary significantly. We also compared 3 blood collection protocols using plasma samples from 23 healthy volunteers (EDTA tubes processed within 1 hour and Cell-free DNA Blood Collection Tubes processed within 24 and 72 hours) and found no significant differences in cfDNA yield, fragment size and background noise between these protocols. In 219 clinical samples, cfDNA fragments were shorter in plasma samples processed immediately after venipuncture compared to archived samples, suggesting contribution of background DNA by lysed peripheral blood cells. In summary, we have described a multiplexed ddPCR assay to assess quality of cfDNA samples prior to downstream molecular analyses and we have evaluated potential sources of pre-analytical variation in cfDNA studies

Today, in the endoscopist hands

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was first described as a non-surgical promise for early gastric epithelial lesions

Design of Lactococcus lactis Strains Producing Garvicin A and/or Garvicin Q, Either Alone or Together with Nisin A or Nisin Z and High Antimicrobial Activity against Lactococcus garvieae

Lactococcus garvieae is a main ichthyopathogen in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum) farming, although bacteriocinogenic L. garvieae with antimicrobial activity against virulent strains of this species have also been identified. Some of the bacteriocins characterized, such as garvicin A (GarA) and garvicin Q (GarQ), may show potential for the control of the virulent L. garvieae in food, feed and other biotechnological applications. In this study, we report on the design of Lactococcus lactis strains that produce the bacteriocins GarA and/or GarQ, either alone or together with nisin A (NisA) or nisin Z (NisZ). Synthetic genes encoding the signal peptide of the lactococcal protein Usp45 (SPusp45), fused to mature GarA (lgnA) and/or mature GarQ (garQ) and their associated immunity genes (lgnI and garI, respectively), were cloned into the protein expression vectors pMG36c, which contains the P32 constitutive promoter, and pNZ8048c, which contains the inducible PnisA promoter. The transformation of recombinant vectors into lactococcal cells allowed for the production of GarA and/or GarQ by L. lactis subsp. cremoris NZ9000 and their co-production with NisA by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis DPC5598 and L. lactis subsp. lactis BB24. The strains L. lactis subsp. cremoris WA2-67 (pJFQI), a producer of GarQ and NisZ, and L. lactis subsp. cremoris WA2-67 (pJFQIAI), a producer of GarA, GarQ and NisZ, demonstrated the highest antimicrobial activity (5.1- to 10.7-fold and 17.3- to 68.2-fold, respectively) against virulent L. garvieae strains.Sección Dptal. de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos (Veterinaria)Fac. de VeterinariaTRUEMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU)Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Banco de SantanderUniversidad Complutense de Madridpu

Lipase mediated enzymatic kinetic resolution of phenylethyl halohydrins acetates: A case of study and rationalization

Racemic phenylethyl halohydrins acetates containing several groups attached to the aromatic ring were resolved via hydrolysis reaction in the presence of lipase B from Candida antarctica (Novozym\uae 435). In all cases, the kinetic resolution was highly selective (E > 200) leading to the corresponding (S)-\u3b2-halohydrin with ee > 99 %. However, the time required for an ideal 50 % conversion ranged from 15 min for 2,4-dichlorophenyl chlorohydrin acetate to 216 h for 2-chlorophenyl bromohydrin acetate. Six chlorohydrins and five bromohydrins were evaluated, the latter being less reactive. For the \u3b2-brominated substrates, steric hindrance on the aromatic ring played a crucial role, which was not observed for the \u3b2-chlorinated derivatives. To shed light on the different reaction rates, docking studies were carried out with all the substrates using MD simulations. The computational data obtained for the \u3b2-brominated substrates, based on the parameters analysed such as NAC (near attack conformation), distance between Ser-O and carbonyl-C and oxyanion site stabilization were in agreement with the experimental results. On the other hand, the data obtained for \u3b2-chlorinated substrates suggested that physical aspects such as high hydrophobicity or induced change in the conformation of the enzymatic active site are more relevant aspects when compared to steric hindrance effects

Biotransformation with whole microbial systems in a continuous flow reactor : resolution of (RS)-flurbiprofen using Aspergillus oryzae by direct esterification with ethanol in organic solvent

Cell-bound lipases of dry mycelium of Aspergillus oryzae were used in organic solvent for the resolution of racemic flurbiprofen by direct esterification with ethanol in a flow-chemistry reactor. Under flow conditions a significant reduction of the reaction time and an increase of the enantioselectivity were achieved compared to the batch mode. Moreover, the process was implemented by adding an in-line purification step integrated with the racemization of the unreacted flurbiprofen directly into a polymer-supported resin