Dr Kwun Fong's idea of an interactive map has proved to be more popular than first envisaged, with many researchers consulting it as a resource of data for their work.

apsresp.org/education/asia-pacific-health/map.html

We'd like to increase it's value with more information about respiratory health matters in any Asia-Pacific country or region, and would welcome details of any source of reliable data for adding to the map.

Please send ideas, suggestions and data sources to APSRinfo@theapsr.org.

Abstracts are now being accepted for the 2019 Congress to be held in Hanoi, Vietnam, 14-17 November 2019, and online registration will be open soon.

The following scientific programme outline is tentative, but gives you a clear idea of the wide range, and depth, of topics covered.

• Pre-congress Workshops
  • Interpretation of biomarkers in asthma
  • Bronchoscopy and Interventional Techniques - The role of Interventional Pulmonologist in Lung Cancer
  • Chest Radiology for Clinicians
  • EBUS
  • TB and comorbidity
  • Pulmonary function testing: From theory to clinical practice
  • Asthma - Practical skills: Inhaler devices and techniques
  • Pleural Ultrasound
  • Pulmonary function testing: From theory to clinical practice
• Plenary lecture 1 - Lung cancer - Unleashing the power of the immune system to fight lung cancer
• Symposia
  • COPD 1 - Diagnosis and management of early COPD
  • Clinical respiratory Medicine 1 - Dyspnea: the most disabling symptom
  • Respiratory Structure and Function 1 - Mechanisms of non-reversible airflow obstruction in asthma
  • Pulmonary Circulation - Management and registry of pulmonary vascular diseases in APSR countries
  • Interstitial lung diseases 1 - Therapeutic strategy of IPF
  • Respiratory neurobiology and sleeps 1 - Ambulatory Monitoring for Respiratory Function Assessment
  • E-cigarette and health
  • Clinical Respiratory medicine 2 - Chronic cough
  • Interstitial lung diseases 2
  • Tuberculosis 1
  • Environmental & occupational health and epidemiology - Treatment for occupational lung disease in Asia
  • Lung Cancer 1
  • Respiratory infections (non-tuberculous) 1
  • Critical care medicine 1 - 52 years of ARDS: what strategies improve outcome?
  • COPD 2 - Personalised management of airway diseases
  • Clinical respiratory Medicine 3 - Treatment beyond medications
  • Critical care medicine 2 - Ventilator-associated pneumonia management in the era of antibiotic resistance
  • Clinical allergy and immunology - Current topics in allergy and airway inflammation
  • Lung Cancer 2
  • Respiratory Infections (nontuberculous) 2
  • Bronchoscopy and interventional techniques - Advances in Interventional Pulmonology
  • Tuberculosis 2
  • Clinical Respiratory medicine 4
  • Paediatric lungs diseases
  • Asthma 1 - New asthma treatment: finding value for money
  • Respiratory neurobiology and sleep 2 - Pathophysiology and Treatments of Dyspnea
  • Paediatric lungs diseases 2
  • Asthma 2 - Asthma: Practical management across the Asia-Pacific
  • Tuberculosis 3
  • Respiratory Structure and Function 2 - Defining COPD beyond FEV1 and Symptoms
  • Asthma 3: Joint with Environmental Assembly
  • Cell and molecular biology 1
  • Clinical allergy and immunology 2

You can download the timetable here (PDF)

Keep checking apsr2019.com regularly for updates.

A new Young Investigator award has been created for the 2019 APSR Congress in Hanoi, and for several congresses in future years: the APSR / KF-CB Lung Cancer Research Young Investigator Award, which gives US$500 to the selected lung cancer paper accepted for presentation at the Congress.

The award money is jointly funded by Professor Kwun Fong and Professor Chunxue Bai, two of the most widely-respected specialists in respiratory medicine. This prestigious award is to recognise the work of early-career researchers in the area of lung cancer, one the big 5 lung diseases.

Across the range of APSR awards, although the number of female awardees is steadily catching up to the number of male awardees, Professor Fong and Professor Bai would like accelerate the goal of more diversity in scientific excellence. Women APSR members are therefore especially encouraged to compete for this Award.

See apsresp.org/awards/2019/lung-cancer-research.html for details.

As reported in the April 2019 issue of the APSR Bulletin, three APSR Young Investigators were awarded travel assistance to attend the 59th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Respiratory Society on 12-14 April 2019 at the Tokyo International Forum.

Here are their post-conference reports:

Rachel Foong

Ability of the Lung Clearance Index to Monitor the Progression of Early Lung Disease in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

I am grateful to the APSR for providing me with the opportunity to present my research at the Japanese Respiratory Society Annual Meeting in Tokyo. At the meeting, I was also invited to chair the Airway Diseases – Clinical session. It was a great experience to be able to share my findings and also learn about the respiratory research in Japan. There was a lot of diverse research into indoor air pollution, obesity, and new methods for diagnosing and treating asthma presented and I enjoyed discussing the findings with the researchers presenting in these sessions. I was able to learn about new technology treatment strategies. The local presentations were excellent, and everyone did well with addressing questions.

I also enjoyed attending the other sessions and the luncheon seminar. Listening to key invited speakers was made even better when there was a Japanese bento box lunch provided. I also attended many other sessions on sleep, interstitial lung diseases and infections. Researchers from Japan have made important advancements in tuberculosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and it was certainly a privilege to be able to receive first-hand results in these areas. In particular, I enjoyed learning about new treatments for infections. Attendance at this conference allowed me to advance my knowledge in respiratory medicine. I enjoyed telling my colleagues back home in Australia about my experience and what I had learnt at the JRS conference.

The social programme at the conference was a highlight for me. I attended both the welcome reception and the international reception. I have never had such delicious food at a conference reception, with fresh sushi and soba noodles being prepared at the back of the room. The food at the international reception was exceptional. Great fresh seafood, sushi, noodles and tempura. There was also a Japanese comedian who did a good job keeping us very entertained. It was also a great opportunity to network with Japanese and other international researchers in an informal setting. I was able to discuss my research for potential collaborations and make new friends at the meeting.

Finally, I would like to point out the excellent venue in Tokyo. The conference hall was at a very central location near the Tokyo train station and it was great to have many food options and food trucks on site. I also enjoyed seeing the exhibition hall. Although it was a shame I do not understand Japanese and could not read the poster exhibitions. Tokyo is certainly an amazing city with great food and shopping too. It was safe and clean and everyone was very helpful and friendly. I am very happy to have been able to attend the JRS conference in Tokyo and would love to be able to attend again in future.

Ralph Villalobos

Safety and Efficacy of Beta Blockers in COPD: A review

I am grateful to the APSR for providing me with the opportunity to present my research at the Japanese Respiratory Society Annual Meeting in Tokyo. At the meeting, I was also invited to chair the Airway Diseases – Clinical session. It was a great experience to be able to share my findings and also learn about the respiratory research in Japan. There was a lot of diverse research into indoor air pollution, obesity, and new methods for diagnosing and treating asthma presented and I enjoyed discussing the findings with the researchers presenting in these sessions. I was able to learn about new technology treatment strategies. The local presentations were excellent, and everyone did well with addressing questions.

I also enjoyed attending the other sessions and the luncheon seminar. Listening to key invited speakers was made even better when there was a Japanese bento box lunch provided. I also attended many other sessions on sleep, interstitial lung diseases and infections. Researchers from Japan have made important advancements in tuberculosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and it was certainly a privilege to be able to receive first-hand results in these areas. In particular, I enjoyed learning about new treatments for infections. Attendance at this conference allowed me to advance my knowledge in respiratory medicine. I enjoyed telling my colleagues back home in Australia about my experience and what I had learnt at the JRS conference.

The social programme at the conference was a highlight for me. I attended both the welcome reception and the international reception. I have never had such delicious food at a conference reception, with fresh sushi and soba noodles being prepared at the back of the room. The food at the international reception was exceptional. Great fresh seafood, sushi, noodles and tempura. There was also a Japanese comedian who did a good job keeping us very entertained. It was also a great opportunity to network with Japanese and other international researchers in an informal setting. I was able to discuss my research for potential collaborations and make new friends at the meeting.

Finally, I would like to point out the excellent venue in Tokyo. The conference hall was at a very central location near the Tokyo train station and it was great to have many food options and food trucks on site. I also enjoyed seeing the exhibition hall. Although it was a shame I do not understand Japanese and could not read the poster exhibitions. Tokyo is certainly an amazing city with great food and shopping too. It was safe and clean and everyone was very helpful and friendly. I am very happy to have been able to attend the JRS conference in Tokyo and would love to be able to attend again in future.

Ching-Yao Yang

The Impact of Pre-Treatment PD-L 1 on Clinical Outcomes of Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients with EGFR mutations Receiving Targeted Therapies

(Report to follow)

The APSR & ISRD Joint Session was successfully held at the ATS 2019, Dallas last month.

Details of the session can be seen at apsresp.org/publications/bulletin/2019/11841a8a.html#item03 and an 8-second video file of the audience and presenters can be seen at apsresp.org/images/bulletin/2019/06/isrd.mov

Continuing this series we are delighted to share a tribute to Prof. Mary Sau-Man Ip, prepared by Dr David CL Lam.

This series complements our APSR Members' Honour Roll, on which as a member, you are welcome to add your appreciation of your mentor(s) at any time.

Prof. Ip

A tribute to Prof. Mary Sau-Man Ip

The May issue (Vol 11.5) features Recent progress in the pathogenesis and management of pulmonary vascular diseases:

• Haemodynamic definitions and updated clinical classification of pulmonary hypertension
• Genetic determinants of risk in pulmonary arterial hypertension: international genome-wide association studies and meta-analysis
• Genomic comparison with supercentenarians identifies RNF213 as a risk gene for pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Bmpr2 mutant rats develop pulmonary and cardiac characteristics of pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Selenoprotein P promotes the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension: A possible novel therapeutic target
• Pathology and pathobiology of pulmonary hypertension: state of the art and research perspectives
• Effect of the pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria on subsequent thromboembolic events among low-risk emergency department patients
• Comparison of an oral factor Xa inhibitor with low molecular weight heparin in patients with cancer with venous thromboembolism: results of a randomized trial (SELECT-D)
• The ADAMTS13-VWF axis is dysregulated in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
• Subpleural perfusion predicts failure after balloon pulmonary angioplasty for nonoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

The following two cases have been added to the July 2019 Respirology Case Reports, Volume 07 Issue 5

Case Reports

Case Reports

Clinical Images

JRS Annual Meeting

The JRS held its 58th Annual Meeting on 27-29 April 2018 in Osaka, under the presidency of Professor Kazuto Hirata. The theme was "Respirology; Its track to date and its clear future concept". There were about 7,600 attendees and the JRS received about 100 English abstract submissions.

The 59th Annual Meeting of the JRS will be held in Tokyo, 12-14 April 2019 under the presidency of Professor Koichiro Tatsumi. The theme is "Efforts toward Epoch-making Innovation in Respiratory Medicine – The Formation of the Human Chain Network"

We are expecting many participants from overseas. The programme will be updated as new information becomes available on website: www.jrs.or.jp/jrs59/en

JRS Official Journals

The JRS official Japanese-language journal is called Annals of the Japanese Respiratory Society and we also have official English-language journal called Respiratory Investigation. These are published bimonthly.

Respiratory Investigation is peer-reviewed journal and open access for Topic Series, Guidelines and Consensus Statements.

It reports significant original manuscripts on clinical investigations of respiratory diseases and medicines, along with articles concerning basic lung cellular and molecular biology and respiratory mechanics. In particular, to better understand the regional characteristics of respiratory disorders, investigations based on current knowledge of genomic specificity of East Asian ethnics are welcome. The journal presents current accomplishments in this field as Original Articles, Case Reports, Reviews and Guidelines, Editorials, and Letters to the Editor.

The JRS applied for an impact factor in March 2016. We look forward to receiving your manuscript. The journal accepts contributions from members and non-members of the Society.

It's impossible not to admire the energy and great organising ability of the Indonesian Society of Respirology (ISR) exercised for the 2019 World Asthma Day.

The ISR's Prof. Faisal Yunus reports:

In commemorating the World Asthma Day, the Indonesian Society of Respirology carried out several activities.

The first activity was carried out on 4 May 2019 in the city of Malang in East Java in the form of a symposium on the management of asthma which was attended by 210 primary health care doctors and pulmonary specialists. There were three topics discussed at the event, namely the management of stable asthma, the management of acute exacerbation asthma, and the role of anti-inflammation in the management of asthma.

On 5 May 2019 a webinar was held in Jakarta. This event was participated by pulmonary specialists from 15 cities in Indonesia. At the event, the latest asthma guidelines (GINA 2019) was disseminated to the participants.

On 7 May 2019 a press conference was held in Jakarta attended by 16 electronic media, newspaper and television journalists. The reporters were asked to inform the public about asthma, how much the problem of asthma, the purpose of managing the disease, and how to make asthma controlled.

On the same day, another webinar was held which was also participated by pulmonary specialists from 10 cities in Indonesia. This time the webinar programme discussed the management of asthma in difficult asthma cases.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

The 2019 International Conference of the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (KATRD) will be held at Lotte Hotel World from 7 to 8 November 2019

Invited speakers include

• Dr Arata Azuma (Japan)
• Dr Shih-Lung Chen (Taiwan)
• Dr Luca Richeldi (Italy)
• Dr David Singh (UK)
• Dr Jeffrey Hafkin (Japan)
• Dr Parameswaran Nair (Canada)

For travel grant opportunities, abstract submission, registration and further details, see www.katrdic.org

(Click to enlarge)

Respire 11

The Sri Lankan government is enhancing security measures in response to the heinous terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday which led to the violent deaths of over 250 people. Consequently, the Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists (SLCP) has taken the prudent decision to postpone the Respire 11 academic meeting which was originally scheduled for 3–5 July. The new dates are 29–31 October 2019.

The venue is the same Galadari Hotel in Colombo and the programme remains unchanged.

SLCP president Dr Saman Kapilawansa says:

The Council has not made this decision lightly and understands the inconvenience caused to you by these alterations. Safety is however of utmost importance in this situation and we are certain you are of the same understanding.

We hope you will be able to join us in October for Respire 11 on the revised dates.

Your continued support is of immense value to us during these difficult times. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Thank you
Dr Saman Kapilawansa
President
Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists
Consultant Respiratory Physician

Respire 11 Abstract submission: docs.google.com/forms/d/1bAKXrL1Ms7lqQz7IOSzxncIj1C1A0lJEud11ehsPHN4/viewform?edit_requested=true

The 12th Congress of the Asociación Latinoamericana del Tórax (ALAT) will take place at the ATLAPA Convention Center in Panama City 3–6 July 2019.

By the kind invitation of Congress Scientific Committee, Dr Kwun Fong (APSR President) and Dr David C L Lam (Immediate Past Chair of the APSR Education Committee) will be the APSR's representative speakers at the Congress.

The symposium APSR–ALAT–WHO essential medicine for respiratory illnesses: unique window of opportunity to address global equity, will be held on 08:00 – 10:00 on 6 July in La Huaca Room of the conference centre:

• "Access of essential medicines in smoking cessation"
  Dr David C L Lam
• "Access of essential drugs in COPD: LAMA"
  Dr Rogelio Perez Padilla
• "Access of essential medicines in lung cancer"
  Dr Kwun Fong
• "Access of essential medicines in Asthma: LABA / ICS"
  Dr Federico Daniel Colodenco
• Q&A

The APSR is looking forward to collaborating further with the ALAT in the future.

Declaration of the Ibero-Latino-American respiratory scientific societies on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems

The main scientific societies of pneumology and thoracic surgery of the Ibero-Latino-American region, after meetings held in different national congresses in which the published data on the nicotine release electronic devices (ENDS) were analyzed, would like to make the following manifest: (Statement)

1. The most effective and also safest treatment to help smokers give up smoking is the combination of psychological counseling and pharmacological treatment. There are three pharmacological treatments with demonstrated effectiveness: nicotine replacement therapy (chewing gum, patches, tablets, candy, inhalers and spray), bupropion and varenicline. All of them used at standard doses and time are able to double and even triple the chances of quitting. ^(1,2,3)
2. The scientific analysis of most of the studies carried out to date shows that ENDS have not shown effectiveness or shown very limited effectiveness in smoking cessation ^(4-5)
3. The ENDS have not demonstrated safety. There are multiple independent studies that indicate adverse effects in the short term. In addition, the occurrence of adverse effects in the medium-long term cannot be ruled out, today unknown due to the short observation period. ^(6-8) On the other hand, they are being promoted by aggressive promotional campaigns that use brand identity and focus on young people and adolescents, campaigns similar to those used by tobacco companies in the 20th century, with the aim of recruiting users by making them addicted to nicotine.
4. Based on the above, we affirm that health professionals should never recommend the use of this type of devices.
5. In smokers who face severe difficulties to quit smoking or in those in whom the use of standard dose and time treatments have failed, we recommend the use of combined intense psychological counseling plus the prescription of pharmacological treatment (substitution therapy with nicotine, bupropion and varenicline) at high doses and for a long time. ⁽⁹⁾
6. The analysis of various studies shows that electronic devices for the release of nicotine allow the inhalation of other substances (flavourings, cocaine, synthetic drugs and cannabis derivatives, among others) which, in addition to the addictive power, add new potential toxicities that can adversely affect the respiratory system. ^(6-8)
7. Breathing clean air is mandatory for respiratory health. Direct or second-hand inhalation of smoke and / or aerosols generated by ENDS or other devices represents a threat to respiratory health. All parts and structures of the respiratory system are perfectly arranged and made to meet one of the main needs that human beings have: the breathing of clean and oxygenated air, without it life would not be possible.
8. The societies of professionals committed to healthy breathing, alert the general public to avoid the use of any type of device that facilitates the inhalation of foreign substances, the safety of which has not been proven scientifically.

Following our introduction in the March 2019 issue of the APSR Bulletin on air pollution and NCDs, the related FIRS press release was picked up by the British daily newspaper The Guardian, the world's fifth most popular online newspaper (ref: MediaWeek, 2011). The white text on a black background may cause eye strain for some readers, but it's nice to acknowledge that FIRS press releases sent to such media companies are actioned.

See www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2019/may/17/air-pollution-may-be-damaging-every-organ-and-cell-in-the-body-finds-global-review

This position statement has been prepared by members of the Respiratory Infections Assembly and is now published in the latest issue of Respirology:
"Emerging respiratory infections threatening public health in the Asia-Pacific region: A position paper of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology"; Sunghoon Park, Ji Young Park, Yuanlin Song, Soon Hin How, Ki-Suck Jung. First published 15 April 2019 10.1111/resp.13558

Until the end of this month only, we are able to share videos of some of the most popular sessions at the APSR Congress in Taipei, 30 November – 2 December 2018.

The videos are streamed, which means you can see them directly – you do not need to download them.

As an APSR member you can see these videos at no charge. Further description of each video and the current access password is shown at apsresp.org/congress/apsr2018/streaming.php.

have kindly sent their donations towards the Society's goals, as outlined at apsresp.org/members/donors.php.

The APSR is profoundly grateful for their generosity.

Congratulations to the following members who have recently become APSR Fellows.

• Dr Somnath Bhattacharya FAPSR (India)
• Dr Catur Elvi Purnamawati FAPSR (Indonesia)
• Dr Sastia Rakhma FAPSR (Indonesia)
• Dr Dian Retnowati FAPSR (Indonesia)
• Dr Azisman Saad FAPSR (Indonesia)
• Dr Ungky Agus Setyawan FAPSR (Indonesia)
• Dr Fauzijah Sri Rahmawati FAPSR (Indonesia)

A new Assembly Newsletter has been uploaded to the Asthma Assembly webpage, announcing new assembly award opportunities.

A warm welcome to the following members who have recently joined APSR assemblies. They will undoubtedly enjoy working with and networking with their assembly colleagues.

If you have news or announcements that may be of interest to other APSR members, please send details to Bulletin Coordinator Dr Arata Azuma (a-azuma@nms.ac.jp) or APSR Bulletin (bulletin@apsresp.org).