Application of tumor necrosis factor antagonists in hepatic disease treatment

All tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists are associated with hepatotoxicity and thus induce liver injury, commonly manifested as hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus reactivation, acute hepatitis, drug-induced liver disease, cholestasis, serum liver enzyme activity elevation, and even acute liver failure. Hence, the application of TNF antagonists in hepatic disease treatment remains controversial. This review summarizes currently available data on the mechanism and application of TNF antagonists in hepatic disease treatment. Although TNF antagonists have been applied for many years, large randomized controlled trials are still recommended to assess its efficacy and safety and to achieve a consensus

Effect of surcharge loading rate and mobilized load ratio on the performance of vacuum–surcharge preloading with PVDs

The results from three laboratory model tests performed under various vacuum and surcharge loads with PVDs are reported. Different SLRs were adopted to investigate the effect on the consolidation of dredged soil. To measure the lateral displacement, a refitted inclinometer was developed and tested. In the tests, the settlement, lateral displacement, and vane shear strength were measured, and the degree of consolidation (DOC), horizontal coefficient of consolidation (Ch), and bearing capacity were calculated. The results indicate that larger SLR values promote consolidation. The largest vane shear strength, settlement, and Ch values were all obtained under the highest SLR, and the bearing capacity under this SLR was more than double that under the lowest SLR. The DOC was found to increase with the growth of the SLR. However, considering the vacuum pressure was higher in Case-III, the influence of SLR on reinforcement effect may not be so significant