Concepts in leptin and liver disease.

Leptin is a cytokine l6kd peptide hormone. Its crucial role is regulation of appetite and the body fat mass mainly through action on the hypothalamus. It is produced mainly in adipocytes of white fat, as well as from other tissues e.g. placenta, skeletal muscles, fundus of the stomach and activated hepatic stellate cell (HSC) and recently reported that leptin is produced from B cell of islands of the pancreas. The gene responsible for production is present on chromosome 7 called obse gene (ob/gene). Leptin receptors (OB-R) were present in two forms short (OB-Ra or OB-RS) and long one (OB-Rb or OB-RI). The main action of leptin depends on long form (OB-Rl), where very little evidence is available implicating a role for the short form in the action of leptin. One of the unconventional areas in which leptin is now receiving great attention is liver diseases as several published studies indicate that circulating leptin level are increased in cirrhosis, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Report: pipeline transport of solid waste in the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah.

The Grand Holy Mosque, located in the Holy City of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, attracts millions of Muslim visitors from all over the world, especially during the pilgrimage season. The daily amount of refuse generated in the Grand Holy Mosque and surrounding plazas reached a maximum value of 192.8 tons/day in 1998. Collection and transport of the solid waste generated during the peak times present a challenge to the Makkan authorities. The congested streets and high population density in the Holy Mosque and its surrounding plazas make the traditional methods of collecting and transporting solid waste impractical. This paper presents an alternative system for the collection and transport of solid waste generated in and around the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah. The proposed system is based on a pneumatic transport technique, by which the waste is collected and transported in underground pipelines. A conceptual layout of the proposed system in the Mosque area is presented, and the merits of the suggested system are discussed.

Medical treatment of perianal Crohn disease.

Crohn disease is a chronic illness that affects the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. Perianal Crohn develops in 31-94% of patients over the course of their illness. It affects the skin in the perianal area, the anal canal and can cause fistulae. It is diagnosed clinically and by other modalities like endoscopy, barium CT scan, endoscopic sonography and magnetic resonance image examination. The treatment of perianal Crohn disease is either medical or surgical. The current medical treatment will be reviewed in this article.