Purpose: To determine the repeatability of stiffness measurements in the liver using MR elastography (MRE) during the fasted and fed states. MRE has gained increased recognition as a noninvasive method to quantify fibrotic changes in the liver. It is well known that eating increases splanchnic blood flow, and fasting status of patients has been recognized as a factor that may affect hepatic stiffness measured with MRE. Materials and Methods:Hepatic MRE stiffness and flow through the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) were measured in 12 healthy subjects in fasted and fed states, and measurements were repeated 5 weeks later. A linear mixed effects model was used to estimate the sources of variability in the data, which included day (exams on different days) and subject. Sources were combined to calculate the overall standard deviation of a single MRE measurement. Results:The total within-subject standard deviation of an MRE exam is 8.5% (standard error [SE] ¼ 1.7%) or 9.0% (SE ¼ 1.8%) for fasted and fed states, respectively. No significant differences between fasted/fed state stiffness and no correlation between hepatic stiffness and SMV flow were observed. Conclusion:As seen in this smaller population, healthy subjects scanned in a known fasted or fed state provide repeatable stiffness estimates with no relationship to SMV flow.

It is unclear whether obesity is associated with increasing degree of airway responsiveness in asthmatics. In this study, methacholine challenge test results of 1,725 subjects with respiratory symptoms were reviewed. Obesity was associated with asthma with an odds ratio of 1.72 (95% C.I. 1.36, 2.17). Although there was a significant difference in the degree of airway responsiveness between various body mass index categories of non-asthmatics (p = 0.01), no significant difference was noted among asthmatics (p = 0.93). A weakly significant interaction between asthma status and body mass index on the degree of airway responsiveness was noted (p = 0.08).

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The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is the regional development arm of the United Nations and serves as the main economic and social development centre for the United Nations in the region. Its mandate is to foster cooperation between its 53 members and 9 associate members. ESCAP provides the strategic link between the global and country-level programmes and issues. It supports governments in consolidating regional positions and advocates regional approaches to meeting the unique socioeconomic challenges in a globalizing world. The ESCAP office is located in Bangkok. The Asian Development Bank's vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite the region's many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world's poor. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration. Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants and technical assistance. The United Nations Development Programme works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results. Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies in Asia and the Pacific Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies in Asia and the Pacific