News Briefs

Family Medicine Scholarship Available

Medical students who are committed to practicing family medicine may be eligible for up to $50,000 of scholarship aid through the Nicholas J. Pisacano, MD, Memorial Foundation, established by the American Board of Family Practice. Students who will enter their third or fourth year of medical school in the fall of 1996 and who will pursue a family-practice specialty may apply.

The Pisacano Scholars Program is designed to reimburse students a portion of medical school related debt. The Pisacano Memorial Foundation seeks to advance the field of primary care by providing well-educated, community-minded leaders in the primary-care movement. The scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate the highest levels of commitment to family practice, scholastic achievement, leadership, character, interpersonal skills and community service.

Application deadline is March 1. For more information about the Pisacano Scholars Program, please call Carolyn Little in the department of family medicine at 2362.

1996 Payroll Tax Changes

There are a number of tax changes for calendar year 1996 that will impact your pay beginning with your first 1996 check on January 11.

• Federal allowance amounts have increased to $2,550 from $2,500 per exemption claimed on your W-4.
• The Social Security Administration has announced an increase for the Social Security portion of the FICA tax. The maximum annual earnings taxable for the Social Security portion has increased to $62,700 from $61,200. There is no limit on the wages subject to the Medicare portion of the FICA tax. The FICA tax rates of 6.20 percent for Social Security and l.45 percent for Medicare (7.65 percent combined) will remain the same in 1996.
• The City of Philadelphia has announced decreases in City Wage Tax as follows: Resident tax decreases to 4.86 percent from 4.96 percent; non-resident tax decreases to 4.2256 percent from 4.3125 percent.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has reduced the Unemployment Compensation Tax (Withholding) to .03 percent from .11 percent.
• Finally, both the States of New Jersey and Delaware have reduced their tax rates for 1996.

4th Annual Clery Lecture, 'Violence in Healthcare Settings: An Emerging Issue,' Set for Jan. 30

Deborah Spungen, MSS, MLSP, CTS, nationally recognized social scientist and author, will speak on "Violence in Healthcare Settings: An Emerging Issue" on Tuesday, January 30 at 6 p.m. in 105 Bluemle.

An expert on violence and violence prevention, Ms. Spungen is a trained mediator, a certified trauma specialist, and president of Crisis Management Consultants.

In its fourth year, the Clery Lecture program is sponsored by a grant to the College of Allied Health Sciences from Howard and Connie Clery and Security on Campus, Inc.

"This is a topic that should interest the entire Jefferson community," said William Thygeson, director of student affairs and services. Ms. Spungen will discuss the incidence of workplace violence, legal issues, prevention, intervention and crisis response, and how students and others in the healthcare field can prepare themselves to address this important issue.

TJU Bookstore Ready for Spring Semester Rush

The TJU Bookstore is ready to fill all students back-to-school needs for the spring '96 semester, says Mike Sharifnia, bookstore manager.

From books and supplies, including medical supplies, to Jefferson imprinted clothing and gifts, the bookstore can fill your needs. Stamps, fax service, United Parcel Service and everything to gift wrap a package are all located in one convenient place. The bookstore offers film development and a multimedia department. Snacks are also available.

The full-service store is located at 224 S. 11th Street. Jefferson's Bookstore is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The store will have extra hours from Monday, January 15 through Thursday, January 18, until 6 p.m. to accommodate the upcoming spring semester rush.

For more information, FAX 215-923-1844 or call 7922.

De Novo Decorin Expression Suppresses The Malignant Phenotype in Human Colon Cancer Cells

Renato V. Iozzo, MD, professor of pathology and cell biology, Jefferson Medical College, and his colleagues found that decorin is increased in the tissue surrounding colon cancer. Decorin is a naturally occurring substance in the connective tissue where, among other roles, it helps regulate cell growth by interacting with growth factors and collagen.

Is this an effort on the part of the decorin molecule produced by the normal cells to control the proliferation of cancerous cells in the colon? Dr. Iozzo's group unraveled the genetic instructions in decorin, and then used genetic engineering to "transfect" colon carcinoma cells with decorin DNA. In vitro, the cancer cells showed a reduced rate of of growth, formed smaller tumor colonies than nonengineered cancer cells from the same parent cancer and did not generate tumors at all when they were injected in immuno-compromised mice. Dr. Iozzo believes this study opens the possibility of therapeutic interventions in human colon cancer, and possibly other epithelial neoplasms, using naturally occuring decorin to inhibit cancer growth in vivo.

Dr. Iozzo presented his findings, which are in press in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, at the 1995 Experimental Biology meeting where he chaired a minisymposium, "Extracellular Matrix: Gene Expression and Function."