APSR Newsletter

All contributions should be written in English, double-spaced, spelling should conform to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English Usage. Style should conform to standard manuals such as Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Joumals, as presented in JAMA 1993; 269: 2282-6.

Papers should be written so that they are intelligible to the professional reader who is not a specialist in the particular field. The Editors reserve the right to modify typescripts to eliminate ambiguity and repetition and improve communication between author and reader. If extensive alterations are required, the manuscript will be returned to the author for revision. There will be no discrimination on the basis of the first language of the author(s). Where contributions are submitted to Respirology by authors who are not fully conversant with the English language, and where those contributions are judged as acceptable for publication on the basis of scientific content, the Editors may elect to have the English of such contributions improved. This English improvement service may be undertaken by the Editors, the publisher or an appointed representative of the publisher and contributions so improved will be returned to the authors for final checking.

Investigations in human subjects must conform to accepted ethical standards. Consent must be obtained from each patient after full explanation of the purpose, nature and risks of all procedures used and the fact that such consent has been given should be recorded in the paper. In addition authors must state that the protocol for the research project has been approved by a suitably constituted Ethics Committee of the institution within which the work was undertaken, and that it conforms to the provisions of the World Medical Associations Declaration of Helsinki as revised by the 20th World Medical Assembly in Tokyo in 1975 (WHO Chronicle 1976; 30: 360-2).

Authors should disclose at the time of submission any financial arrangements they may have with a company whose product figures prominently in the submitted manuscript or with a company making a competing product. Such information will be held in confidence while the paper is under review and will not innuence the editorial decision but, if the article is accepted for publication, the Editors will usually discuss with the authors the manner in which such information is to be communicated to the reader.

Because the essence of reviews and editorials is selection and interpretation of the literature, the Editors expect that the authors of such article will not have any financial interest in a company (or its competitor) that makes a product discussed in the article.

Authors are encouraged to provide final copy in machine-readable form, but disks should not be sent until the paper has been accepted. It is essential that the final version of the hard copy and the file on the disk be identical.

Authors should supply their accepted papers as formatted text on disk (any word-processing format can be handled). The hardware and the word processing package must be specified on the disk.

The paper should be divided into separate files for text and tables. Use only one Tab (not spaces) to separate each column in a table.

In order to subsidize the production of Respirology so that it is available at minimum cost to subscribers, a summary of the journal will be translated into Japanese for distribution by a pharmaceutical company. Authors should include an extended abstracts of no more than 1,000 words; the Editors will add the tables and figures they consider most appropriate.

This will include articles contributed by:

• Dr. WC Tan - Description of APSR
• Dr. S Kira - Aims and Scope
• Dr. WC Luo - Invitation to the 1996 Congress
• Dr. P Macklem - "Respirology"

Review articles will include

• Dr. S Kira - Disintegration of the 'Waterfall Phenomenon' in inferior vena cava due to right heart failure
• Dr. Bovornkitti - Tropical Pulmonary Diseases
• Dr. T de Guia - Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Diagnosis and Management
• Dr. WC Tan - DNA diagnosis of pulmonary infections - particular emphasis on Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
• Dr. PC Yang - New Developments in Diagnosis and Management in Lung Cancer

Original articles will include:

• Dr. M Masutani - A Phase III Randomized Trial of Cisplatin plus Vindesine Versus Cisplatin plus Vindesine plus Mitomycin C Versus Cisplatin plus Vindesine plus Ifosfamide for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
• Dr. A Balgos - Cardiovascular and Respiratory Adjustments in Normal Volunteers During Modified Exercise Tests in Comparison to Standard Exercise Tests
• Dr. M Munakata - Interleukin-1b Decreases Sensitivity of Guinea-pig Airway to Potassium Chloride and Isoproterenol by an Epithelium- Dependent Mechanism
• Dr. S Charoenratanakul - The Efficacy of Doxycycline as a Pleural Sclerosing Agent in Malignant Pleural Effusion. A prospective Study

Special Report by:

• Dr. P Scale - Report on Smoking and Health: "A Physician Responsibility: A Statement of the Joint Committee on Smoking and Health"

Special thanks to:

• Dr. Y Ichinose of Tokyo Medical College, Dr. H Takahashi of Juntendo University, and Dr. T Matsuse of Tokyo University, for their participation in editorial duties.

A Formal Executive Meeting was held in Manila on February 29, 1995. Attendees were; Dr. Ampikaipakan, Prof. Barron, Dr. Berend, Dr. Fukuchi, Dr. de Guia, Dr. Harasawa, Dr. Kira, Dr. Luo, Dr. Takizawa, Dr. Woolcock, Dr. Yang, Dr. Zainnudin, Dr. Mangunnegoro, Dr. Suchai and Dr. Tan. The Secretary General reported that monthly meetings had been held with Dr. Kira, Dr. Fukuchi, Prof. Barron and Mrs. Mori, the APSR assistant, to map out activities and decide what the Secretariat has to do during the coming months. Dr. Luo reported the progress of the Beijiqg Congress. The Fourth Congress of the APSR will be held from October 4-8, 1996 at the Beijing International Convention Center.

The APSR Secretariat printed and distributed the 2nd Announcement for this congress in April, 1995. The seed money for the Congress was sent to China on April ll, 1995. Invited speakers for the Fourth Congress of the APSR will include Dr. Alvin Ing, Dr. David Tuxen, Dr. Bruce WS Robinson, Professor Peter Barnes, Professor James C Hogg, Professor Leonard Hudson, Professor Colin Sullivan, Dr. Patrick Holt, Professor Ann Woolcock, Professor Yoshikazu Kawakami, Professor Masayuki Ando, Dr. Nan Shan Zhong, Dr. Sonia Buist, Dr. Peter T Macklem and Dr. ST Holgate.

Dr. Berend and Dr. Woolcock reported the offers of two publishing companies to publish the society journal. Blackwell Science Pty. Ltd. was chosen to publish the journal. The journal was then named "RESPIROLOGY". In order to obtain a subsidy for the journal, thereby minimizing the cost for APSR members, the idea of publishing a Japanese-language mini version of the journal consisting of extended abstracts, paid for by a pharmaceutical company, was suggested by Professor Barron. This concept was eventually made possible through the financial negotiations by Dr. Fukuchi. As a result, the journal will be available to APSR members without any increase in annual dues for 1996.

Dr. Woolcock was appointed as Chairperson of the Organizing Committee for the World Lung Health Conference to be held in the year 2000.

Dr. Fukuchi reported the APSR workshop to be held in Japan in 3-5 April, 1996. It was decided that the APSR would endorse the JSCD workshop.

Time:

• 16-23 March, 1996

Place:

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Objectives:

• The Workshop aims to provide participants with the skills to design and conduct epidemiological and/or community based research directed at local lung health problems.

Target Audience:

• Respiratory physicians and other health care workers in the South East Asia region whose careers include a commitment to research in lung health.

Seating:

• Limited to 25 Participants

Cost:

• The cost per participant is US$1,OOO. This covers the course fee, accommodation, lunch and tea. Participants are encouraged to seek sponsorship from within their own countries. The secretariat will have some sponsorship funds available on application.

Mode of Payment:

• Bank draft drawn in Malaysian Banks payable to: Malaysian Thoracic Society.

Subjects to be covered:

• Development of a research hypothesis
• Critical appraisal of the relevant literature
• Designing a study to test the hypothesis
• Selecting and assessing appropriate measurement tools
• Selecting appropriate methods for statistical analysis
• Ethical issues
• Research protocol design

The Faculty will include:

• Professor Ann Woolcock, Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Sydney, Australia
• Professor Peter Burney, Dept. of Community Medicine, UMDS, London, UK
• Dr. Guy Marks, Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Sydney, Australia
• Professor Azizi Omar, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

Apply by:

• 31 December, 1995

To:

• Malaysian Thoracic Society
  c/o Institute of Respiratory Medicine,
  Hospital Kuala Lumpur,
  Jalan Pahang,
  53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  phone: 603-423-2966
  fax: 603-421 8807

Time:

• 3-5 April, 1996

Place:

• Utsunomiya City, Tochigi, Japan

Objectives:

• To promote scientific exchange and friendship among young investigators in the field of respirology in the Asia Pacific region. The participants will be invited from all the APSR membership countries. This workshop is fully sponsored by the Japan Society of Chest Diseases. Young investigators from Australia, Beijing, China, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, as well as Japan will be invited this time. The remaining membership countries (Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand) will also have the equal opportunity.

Special lectures:

• Professor JF Murray - "Tuberculosis and HIV Infection in Global Perspectives"
• Dr. Gerard J Huchon - "Management of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections by European General Practitioners"

General lectures:

• John W Upham, MD (Australia) - "T-cell Proliferative Responses to Mite Allergens are Detectable in Most Individuals Regardless of Atopic Status and Age"
• NK Chin, MD (Singapore) - "Population Based Standards for Pulmonary Functions in Non-smoking Adults In Singapore"
• Baiyi Chen, MD (PR China) - "Ameliorating Effect of Erythromycin on Bleomysin-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis - Role of Alveolar Macrophage Activation and Cytokine Release"
• Abner T Koh, MD (Philippines) - "Carbon Dioxide Recruitment Threshold (PC₂RT) as a Predictor of Successful Weaning in COPD Patients: A Pilot Study"
• Pan-Chyr Yang, MD (Taiwan) - "Applications of Color Doppler Ultrasonography in the Investigation of Chest Diseases"
• Yoshiyuki Uchida, MD (Japan) - "Role of Endogenous Nitric Oxide on the Pathogenesis of Bronchial Asthma"