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Although ELF score ≥9.8 reliably identifies advanced fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease, both age and inflammatory activity need to be considered when interpreting the result. Importantly, ELF score performed well in the presence of steatosis and could thus be helpful in the assessment of fatty liver disease.

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Funding support: The study was funded by grants from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics USA (BELL14AO) and The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation (MS2014-20). T.J.K. acknowledges National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career (GNT1088448) and ERS-EU RESPIRE2 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Research (#4571-2013) Fellowship support. L.D.K. acknowledges an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (APP1036620) List ONE descriptor number that best classifies the subject of your manuscript: 9.17 Cystic Fibrosis: Translational & Clinical Studies Total word count for the body of the manuscript = 3751 At a Glance Commentary. Scientific Knowledge on the Subject: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the dominant airways infection in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). People can harbor genetically indistinguishable strains of P. aeruginosa, which suggests that cross infection may be an important mode of transmission, although the mechanisms are not well understand. Droplet nuclei containing P. aeruginosa produced during coughing can remain viable for extended periods, raising the possibility of airborne transmission. The CF Foundation recommends that people with CF wear a surgical mask in communal areas to reduce pathogen acquisition and transmission. What This Study Adds to the Field: This comparative observational study demonstrated that surgical masks and the N95 masks are effective in reducing aerosols containing viable P. aeruginosa 2-metres from source during coughing in people with CF. Short-term use of face masks was well tolerated in people with CF lung disease, with the surgical mask rated more comfortable than the N95 mask. Cough etiquette reduced viable aerosols to a lesser extent than face masks.

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