Exeley Inc.

Min, Zhi

Junmin, Luo

Wuqi, Gao

Research on AORBCO Model and It’s Description Language

Zhenjiang, Su

Meng, Huang

Shaohui, Xie

Dian, Zhang

Zhe, Wang

2018 International Conference on Sensor Network and Computer Engineering (ICSNCE 2018) 
1 
 
Earthquake Damage Predicting System of Songyuan Based on GIS 
 
Su Zhenjiang 
Institute of Disaster prevention 
The GIS Association of Institution of Disaster Prevention 
Beijing, China 
e-mail: 75672946@qq.com 
Huang Meng* 
Institute of Disaster prevention  
The GIS Association of Institution of Disaster Prevention 
Beijing, China 
e-mail: 398727732@qq.com 
Xie Shaohui 
Institute of Disaster prevention 
The GIS Association of Institution of Disaster Prevention 
Beijing, China 
e-mail: 1004120572@qq.com 
Zhang Dian 
Institute of Disaster prevention 
The GIS Association of Institution of Disaster Prevention 
Beijing, China 
e-mail: 774847587@qq.com 
Wang Zhe 
Institute of Disaster prevention  
The GIS Association of Institution of Disaster Prevention 
Beijing, China 
e-mail: 1015382294@qq.com 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract—With the rapid development of cities, the research 
on urban seismic damage prediction should have a 
breakthrough based on the modern technology. The paper 
takes Songyuan of Jilin Province as the research object, and 
creates a spatial database by field data and Baidu maps. We 
simulate the earthquake by using the seismic intensity 
algorithm of the point source and the line source, use the 
spatial analysis method of PHP+GIS to simulate the influence 
at different earthquake levels on the urban buildings in 
Songyuan. At the same time, PHP, HTML and dynamic cutting 
technique were used to evaluate the disaster in 10 minutes after 
the earthquake. This system will provide technical support for 
the prevention of earthquake damage in Songyuan. 
Keywords-Earthquake Damage Prediction; Songyuan; Baidu 
Maps API; Rapid Assessment 
I. INTRODUCTION 
With the rapid development of Chinese economy and the 
urbanization process, more and more attention is supposed to 
be put on the potential threat of earthquakes to people's lives 
and property. If we can use GIS technology to simulate the 
loss may be caused by the earthquake to the city before the 
disaster, and estimate the severe disaster area to shrink the 
scope of rescue, it will provide the management decision-
making institutions with reliable technical support. Therefore, 
it is very meaningful to develop a GIS-based earthquake 
seismic hazard prediction system. 
GIS technology, with its intuitive characteristics, is 
widely used in various fields. For example, in 2009, 
Professor Yuan Longbo of the School of Civil and Hydraulic 
Engineering of Dalian University of Technology made an 
Earthquake predicting system of urban lifeline based on GIS, 
which made a rational analysis of the influence of urban pipe 
network connectivity and damage on pipe network, but it 
didn’t comprehensively discuss the influence of pipeline 
network on urban buildings. In 2012, Zhao Qi, a director of 
the Structural Engineering and Disaster Prevention Research 
Institute of Tongji University, made a Study on Application 
of High Resolution Remote Sensing Images in Rapid 
Prediction of Earthquake Disaster in Urban Area. This 
technology adapts to the needs of large-scale regional 
earthquake damage prediction work, but because remote 
sensing satellites cannot provide real-time image, the project 
cannot meet the requirements of post-earthquake rapid 
assessment. In 2013, Wang Dongming, a researcher at the 
China Earthquake Prevention Center, made a Research on 
Urban Earthquake Damage Prediction Virtual Simulation 
System. Professor Wang adopted the city simulation based 
on VR technology, but the whole development cost is high, 
which is not conducive to promotion. In 2016, Xiao Xinghui, 
a teacher of China Ocean University, made a Prediction 
Model of Urban Bridge Seismic Damage Based on Least 
Squares Support Vector Machine, which is mainly aimed at 
the study of urban bridges, but didn’t study the seismic 
modeling of urban buildings. 
To summary, although many researchers have made 
different directions for urban earthquake damage prediction, 
but for the rapid assessment of urban construction disaster is 
still left blank. Therefore, the paper, through the study on 
earthquake damage prediction and the feasibility of software 
implementation, has developed an earthquake intensity 
model software aimed at Songyuan, Jilin Province, and it 
also is a platform for analysis that can be combined with 
multiple factors to give disaster assessment and rescue 
information. 
2018 International Conference on Sensor Network and Computer Engineering (ICSNCE 2018) 
2 
 
II. SYSTEM DESIGN 
A. Design of Systematic Framework 
 
 
Figure 1.  Functional structure diagram 
 
 
Figure 2.  Technical flow chart 
B. Database 
The correctness of the prediction results of the 
earthquake predicting system in Songyuan depends on the 
reliability of the data source. This project lasted more than a 
year, we carried out comprehensive field survey and data 
collection of more than 3000 buildings located at Ningjiang 
district, Fuyu City, Qian'an County, Changling County and 
Ross Mongolian Autonomous County in Songyuan, which 
finally collected about 120 thousand complete messages. 
The coordinate system in map is Beijing 54 coordinate 
system, and the coordinates of building are SHP format data 
through the field research. The map component is used Baidu 
maps interface. Because its own coordinates, we need a 
coordinate conversion. There are many methods for 
coordinate conversion, and this system uses recursive 
callback method requesting API for batch processing of 
coordinate data. Many articles are described in detail about 
the method, so we don't go into details. 
Another place to be pretreated is the vulnerability of 
building structures to different seismic grades. For this point, 
the paper draws on the study of the seismic performance of 
buildings by Yi Qian researcher, carries out the prediction 
examples based on the damage of Shenyang and Wuhan city, 
combined with the data of the existing foundation, and uses 
the vulnerability of building structures to earthquake disaster 
prediction science describing failure degree of building and 
loss of the city under different intensity earthquake damage. 
The specific algorithm is as follows: 
Vulnerability of the building structure is the probability 
or possibility of a certain degree of damage occurring under 
the determined earthquake intensity. China earthquake 
intensity table to the building's damage level is divided into 
basic intact, minor damage, moderate damage, serious 
damage and destruction of five grades. The researchers 
divided our buildings into four categories according to the 
vulnerability level. Class A mainly includes multi-storey 
steel and reinforced concrete structures, and the seismic 
capacity is the best. Class B mainly includes brick structure, 
industrial building and the seismic capacity is inferior to 
Class A; Class C mainly includes without formal design, 
open brick structure; D class for the soil structure, is the 
worst type of earthquake resistance. 
                                                       (1) 
In the formula, VID is the structural vulnerability index, 
it is the seismic damage matrix of building, I means the 
seismic intensity, Dj means the damage level of the house, it 
is the damage rate of the house when the j damage occurs. 
The smaller the vulnerability index is, the better the seismic 
capacity of structure is, and the smaller the earthquake loss is. 
This project combines the historical seismic damage 
statistics method and test method, through the collection of 
buildings under different intensities of damage degree of 
seismic data in recent years, the analysis of the vulnerability 
of different types of buildings, combined with the test 
method to simulate the specific building and the 
corresponding experimental results and got the intensity of 
vulnerability index, then fitting out the fragility curves of all 
kinds of buildings. For example, the project survey in 
Ningjiang district of Songyuan city is a high-rise concrete 
building, according to the fragility curves of the building. 
The building is estimated at six level showed a good 
intensity, showing good intensity at level seven, damaged in 
eight level intensity, in nine levels of intensity is moderate 
2018 International Conference on Sensor Network and Computer Engineering (ICSNCE 2018) 
3 
 
damage, severe in the ten stage damage intensity. Part of the 
field of the building database is shown in figure 3: 
 
 
Figure 3.  Schematic diagram of database vulnerability 
C. Database Design 
Database plays an important role in the system platform, 
so it is very important to design a reasonable database 
structure. The population, economic and geographical data 
from different data source formats such as TXT text format, 
EXCLE format, and SHP format, we need to provide for 
different kinds of data sources in the database data entry 
interface. At the same time, when the database is built, the 
data redundancy and the feasibility of the later maintenance 
are also need to be considered. Through several design 
schemes, the relational database scheme with the building 
number as the unique identifier and the multi table 
association is adopted. 
TABLE I.  THE MAIN FIELD AND DESCRIPTION 
Field 
table 
Field Name explanation 
1 buildingNumber 
Primary key column, used for field 
matching, multi-table joint query 
2 
X  
Y 
actual coordinates, through the actual 
investigation 
3 
baidu_X 
baidu_Y 
Baidu coordinates, through the actual 
coordinates of the building 
coordinates obtained after conversion 
4 propertyType 
Building Type, used to screen 
different types of buildings 
5 nameOfHous Head of household name 
6 constructionAge Building age 
7 
sixDegrEarthDam 
sevenDegrEarthDam 
eightDegrEarthDam 
nineDegrEarthDam 
tenDegrEarthDam 
Building Vulnerability Level, 
Damage degree of housing at different 
intensity levels 
 
This project implements the data import interface for 
different data sources, and add the relevant attribute 
information according to the building number to dynamically. 
Taking into account the late housing information 
replacement, this project provides an interface for 
dynamically modifying updated data. With this kind of 
interface, all data can be updated in real time. 
III. STYLING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION 
This paper is based on the point set and line set data from 
Songyuan city survey, using Baidu map to display the 
building information and lifeline engineering in Songyuan. 
The seismic intensity model of point source and line source 
is used to simulate the earthquake, and the earthquake 
disaster and building damage are evaluated automatically. 
User can export the result to the document and export the 
relevant Word document according to the requirement. 
Here we will make a preliminary demonstration of the 
key functional algorithm ideas: 
A. Elliptic intensity attenuation method 
In the work of seismic safety evaluation, earthquake 
zoning and post-earthquake rapid assessment, as an 
important indicator of earthquake motion, the attenuation 
relation and law of earthquake intensity have obvious 
regionality. Because of the typical plain landform of 
Songyuan city and a lot of very mature elliptical intensity 
attenuation research, the paper adopts the intensity 
attenuation relation of line source earthquake in North China 
proposed by Sha Haijun as the attenuation model of 
Songyuan intensity. 
)073.13ln(169.0433.0949.1064.0
)035.27ln(151.0923.0010.2033.2
'
s
'
l


RMMI
RMMI
）（
）（
          (2) 
In this formula, the variable I represents the intensity, the 
variable M means the magnitude, and R represents the 
epicenter distance (km), the lower corner of the standard l, s 
represents the long and short axis. The difficulty of this 
project is the combination of elliptical intensity attenuation 
method and Baidu map to truly achieve the simulation of 
ellipse intensity on map. For this reason, we abstracted it as a 
mathematical model to achieve. F(X，Q，R，Y，Z)=0 is a 
set of points, F is the input set, X is the coordinate point of 
the focal position, Q is the strong earthquake action, R is the 
epicentral distance, Y is the deflection angle under the action 
of the fault zone, Z is the output set. Then the model is 
rewritten into a computer language and implemented with a 
class, and the coordinates of all points on the intensity map 
are obtained.  
Simulation of a 7.5 earthquake occurred, according to the 
long and short axis intensity attenuation algorithm effect 
shown in Figure 4. 
 
 
Figure 4.  Longitudinal axis elliptical intensity attenuation method 
In contrast, the circular intensity attenuation method is 
relatively simple to implement based on the ellipse. The 
circular model assumes that the seismic source is a point 
source, ignoring the effect of seismic fault rupture on ground 
motion, and the seismic intensity decreases with increasing 
epicentral distance. As Matsubara is located in the plains, 
according to the empirical formula of earthquake attenuation, 
I = M + 2 where I is the intensity of the earthquake and M is 
the magnitude. In general, the higher the intensity of 
attenuation, the faster the decay of 10 degrees to 9 degrees 
2018 International Conference on Sensor Network and Computer Engineering (ICSNCE 2018) 
4 
 
after 5km or so, followed by 9 degrees to 8 degrees after 
8km, 8 degrees to 7 degrees after 20km, 7 degrees to 6 
degrees to go through 40km or so. According to this model, 
the intensity attenuation diagram of an earthquake can be 
dynamically generated by controlling the radius of the 
circular intensity circle at all levels. 
Simulation of the occurrence of a 7 earthquake and 
according to the disaster situation will be severely affected 
buildings automatically grouped the effect shown in Figure 5. 
 
 
Figure 5.  Circular intensity attenuation method 
In addition, our system has also realized the function of 
earthquake damage prediction for lifeline engineering, and 
the multi layer analysis with the overlay of the building layer. 
The effect is shown in Figure 6. 
 
 
Figure 6.  Damage prediction for lifeline engineering 
B. Document export 
Document export is a key part of the evaluation system, 
the user can then manipulate the system to obtain 
automatically generated documents and data from the 
composition of the document, which to a large extent save 
the time to artificially export data. This project uses the 
PHPWord class library to complete the requirements for 
generating documents and formats. And designs the delay 
module by several dynamic statistics, combined with H5 
latest technology dynamic capture window real-time capture 
analysis results, finally can be saved in the cache folder. 
Because the ThinkPHP framework does not provide 
support for the direct operation of Microsoft word and 
PowerPoint, then we change our mind in the Windows 
environment. This project starts by modifying the PHP 
configuration file php.ini to start the support of PHP zip, thus 
gaining the PHPWord class library 0.6.2-1 version, and 
extending the support for MS Word and PowerPoint. 
Because the PHPWord class library is a class library edited 
abroad, there still exists the problem of Chinese garbled code. 
It will translate the input text into utf8_ encode code. That is 
to say, using GBK, GB2312 or utf8 code will appear garbled 
situation, so we use utf8 encoding. At the same time, we find 
the utf8_encode transcoding in all the methods in the class 
library, delete them, and use iconv to encode the GBK or 
GBK2312 code, which can solve the problem better. 
There are 5 pictures produced in the Word document, 
namely the intensity circle map of the earthquake area, the 
distribution map of the destruction of the houses in the 
earthquake area, the pie charts of the houses damaged in the 
earthquake area, the column of the destruction of the houses 
in the earthquake area and the architectural situation in the 
city. Each picture is waiting for the page finishes loading 
through the delay module, real-time dynamic crawl on the 
window with screenshots of components, and then gain 
access to the data stream to the interception time to 
distinguish cached in the corresponding folder. When 
exporting, we read the cache file, and we insert the picture 
through the function called addImage. The module can 
quickly export the electronic documents of damaged 
buildings after earthquake simulation, and reduce the 
occupation of computer memory resources by using cache, 
which has the characteristics of flexibility and portability. 
The seismic damage prediction results of Figure 4 are 
derived by using Word, which is shown in Figure 7: 
 
 
Figure 7.  Export the document part of the schematic 
IV. CONCLUSION 
This paper is based on the theory of earthquake damage 
prediction for the terrain of Songyuan, cleverly combines a 
variety of methods such as seismic intensity algorithm for 
point source and line source, PHP + GIS spatial analysis 
method, PHP + HTML + dynamic cutting Technology, to 
apply GIS theory to the actual development needs. It’s 
different from the previous urban earthquake damage 
prediction system, and the system data sources are more 
comprehensive and reliable. In the calculation of data 
processing in this system, the results have been collated in 
the form of presenting qualified documents, which is very 
convenient to the user's operation. The system also has room 
for upgrading, and it is expected to continue to increase the 
function module of casualties statistics, so as to make the 
system function more perfect. 
The implementation of the project is based on its rapid 
exporting of derived products within 10 minutes, which 
make up for the current earthquake industry in the post 
earthquake rapid assessment of the blank. The system 
provides a powerful scientific basis for improving the ability 
2018 International Conference on Sensor Network and Computer Engineering (ICSNCE 2018) 
5 
 
of urban earthquake prevention and disaster reduction by 
revealing the weak links of urban building earthquake. At the 
same time, it also provides some technical support for 
earthquake damage prediction in Songyuan. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
This work was supported by the Special Fund of 
Fundamental Scientific Research Business Expense for 
Higher School of Central Government (No. ZY20160106). 
 
REFERENCES 
[1] Yuan Yongbo, Bai Guangbin, Zhang Mingyuan. GIS based prediction 
system for earthquake damage of urban lifelines Liaoning University 
of Technology and Technology (Natural Science Edition, December 
2010) Technology based on GIS in Changchun City earthquake 
damage prediction technology 2009-04 
[2] Zhao Qi, Zhai Yong-mei, Li Tiezheng Application of high-resolution 
remote sensing image in urban rapid earthquake damage prediction 
[J]. Software Journal, 2012, 02-0072-05 
[3] Wang Dongming, Study on virtual simulation system of urban 
earthquake damage prediction [J]. China Earthquake Disaster 
Prevention Center, 2013, 01-0098-05 
[4] Zhang Yu, Kang Jianhong, Wei Meixuan, Li Na, Yang Qing, Study 
on prediction model of earthquake damage of urban bridge based on 
least squares support vector machine. Geophysical and geochemical 
exploration, 2014, 38 (5); 03-0124-08 
[5] Wu Qing, Gao Mengtan. Study on historical earthquake magnitude 
and epicenter using elliptical intensity attenuation relationship [J]. 
Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration, 2015, 12: 
76-79. 
 


Earthquake Damage Predicting System of Songyuan Based on GIS

Shuangming, Wang

Jianwei, Shi

Shiqiu, Fu

Wanlin, Xu

Research on the Construction of Sports Resources Information Platform Based on Big Data

Özdikici, Mete

The relationship between splenic length in healthy children from the Eastern Anatolia Region and sex, age, body height and weight

Neustadt, Nurit

International Journal of Orientation & Mobility • Volume 4, Number 1, 2011 5
Welcome
Welcome to the fourth volume of the International Journal of Orientation and Mobility.
In view of the upcoming International Mobility Conference 14, New Zealand in February 
2012, may I take the liberty to refl ect upon the history of our profession and its increasingly 
lengthy history of international gatherings? The profession of Orientation and Mobility 
(O&M) originated in the USA at the Valley Forge Army Hospital during World War II. Later, 
developments moved to what has become the Edward Hines Jr. Veteran Administration 
Medical Center in Illinois. The pioneers who developed the long cane teaching techniques 
now used all over the world, who trained at the Hines Rehabilitation Center were among 
our profession’s fi rst mentors as well as ambassadors of the new discipline of O&M that 
was taught at  Boston College in Massachusetts and at Western Michigan University. In 
addition these pioneers introduced O&M to other countries. Currently O&M is an advanced 
and respected profession among the major para-medical rehabilitation disciplines in some 
countries. It is found within the fi eld of education in others and is still regarded as a technical 
vocation in a few other places. The evolvement of the title of the discipline which provides 
service in developing of the other senses and teaching route travel using the long cane 
training much depends on geography. 
What’s in a name?
Peripatology was the title fi rst given to O&M instruction at the Boston College professional 
preparation programs. Rehabitologist is a commonly used title in Eastern Europe and the 
Baltic states. ‘Thifl o Pedagogue’ is a common used title for O&M instruction in Greece, 
Russia, and other parts of Europe. The evolution of ‘political correct’ terms in western nations, 
has more recently generated the title ‘O&M’ Specialist. The fact that a majority of people 
with vision impairment who receive O&M instructions are individuals with low vision has 
caused the latter label to evolve into ‘Vision Therapist’. The following are more examples 
that demonstrate the range of  titles (in alphabetic order), that refer to those who are trainers 
in the art and science of Orientation and Mobility: home teacher;  independent movement 
instructor; instructor in electronic travel aids; instructor in low vision aids; instructor of the 
blind; long cane teacher; mobility assistant; mobility instructor; O&M teacher; orientation 
therapist; orientor; peripatologist; rehabitologist; tifl o instructor; tifl o pedagogue; travel 
instructor; travel specialist; vision rehabilitation therapist; vision specialist. 
Our profession’s need for Continuing Education and updates are generally met at the 
IMCs, the International Mobility Conferences. IMCs fi rst started at Frankfurt, Germany in 
1979, initially as an interest group of German O&M specialists led by Dennis Cory. IMCs 
rapidly evolved into major international professional gatherings of O&M specialists who 
meet every two and a half years.  IMCs have been held at the following locations: France 
(1981), Austria (1983), Israel (1986), the Netherlands (1988), Spain (1991), Australia 
(1994), Norway (1996), USA  (1998), England (2000), South Africa (2003), and Hong Kong 
International Journal of Orientation & Mobility • Volume 4, Number 1, 20116
(2006). To celebrate the 30th anniversary of IMC the (2009) meeting took place in Germany 
where the concept originated. Our profession’s next meeting (2012) is scheduled to take 
place in Palmerston North, New Zealand and Canada is planned to follow that IMC in 2015.
The IMC is essentially an event held by an independent group of practitioners in mobility 
for children with vision impairment, adults, and elderly. Participants are generally O&M 
specialists and those from related disciplines. An IMCs aim is to further O&M instructor 
level of expertise through an international exchange of ideas and information. An IMC is 
dedicated to co-operation with all organisations of and for people who are blind. The IMC 
promotes the quality of O&M services and advocates for establishing services where these do 
not yet exist. Since IMC8 in Norway, the Suterko-Cory award ceremony to commemorate a 
signifi cant contribution in O&M professional training on an international level has become 
an integral event at IMCs. 
Our profession’s major award
The people after whom the award is named:
Stanley Suterko who passed away in 2008, started his professional career 
as a corrective therapist in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the 
Veteran Administration (V.A.) Hospital at Hines, Illinois. With the 
establishment of the Hines Central Blind Rehabilitation Center in 1948 he 
was among the fi rst fi ve from the centre to be prepared as ‘orientors’ for 
veterans who were blind. He helped refi ne the orientation procedures and 
cane techniques that had been previously developed at Valley Forge Army Hospital. In 1960 
the fi rst academic course was established at Boston College as its Peripatology Program. A 
year later the Western Michigan University program began. As Assistant Director, Suterko 
played a key role in the establishment of the O&M curriculum, adapting the Hines program 
to a university course structure. Suterko’s international work included conducting a training 
program in 1966 that introduced the long cane to England. During short visits he conducted 
workshops in many countries including Australia, Poland, Denmark, Germany, France, and 
New Zealand. He has been called by the Australian Royal Guide Dog for the Blind 
Association, the “St. Peter of Mobility”.
Dennis Cory, American born, started his career in the fi eld of blindness as 
dormitory counsellor and English teacher at the German Institute for the 
Blind in Marburg, Germany. His involvement with children with vision 
impairment inspired him to return to the USA to get a Master degree in 
O&M at Western Michigan. Soon after, he returned to Germany where he 
and his wife Pamela, with Bea and Joachim Fischer, founded the Mobility 
Center in Marburg. In 1979 he and his wife courageously founded the IRIS Center in 
Hamburg. This centre became one of the most noteworthy training centres in Europe where 
professionals from the continent gained their O&M and ADL education.  Besides training 
large number of ‘O&Mers’ in Germany, Cory held training courses and served as a guest 
teacher for O&M for organisations offering rehabilitation services in Switzerland, Austria, 
International Journal of Orientation & Mobility • Volume 4, Number 1, 2011 7
China, Denmark, France, Spain, and Israel. It was his vision and leadership in the fi eld while 
still in Marburg that motivated forming the IMCs as a platform for professional exchange. 
Until very recently Cory assumed responsibility as IMC President and stepped down at 
IMC’s 30th anniversary. Nowadays aside of international training, he is active mostly in 
research and development of O&M technologies. Cory is said to be a great believer that 
O&M ‘can be best discussed over a glass of beer at a brewery.’  
Finally, a reminder: in February 2012 O&M specialists from around the world will gather 
for the 14th time for the International Orientation and Mobility Conference (IMC14). This 
time the assembly will take place in the southern hemisphere of our planet, more specifi cally 
at Massey University, Palmerston North in New Zealand. Prof. Steve La Grow is the 
chairperson of the local organising committee. He and his team are working hard to assure 
a successful conference.
Methods, skills, techniques, and technologies related to training  people with vision 
impairment  to travel independently will be the focus of more than 130 lectures, panels, 
and poster sessions. As well as the educational aspects the conference is an opportunity for 
personal exchange and for making links with professionals from a wide range of cultures, 
economic, and professional preparation backgrounds.
I sincerely hope that the refl ections on milestones in the history of O&M and IMC will 
motivate IJOM readers to join the excitement at IMC14.
Nurit Neustadt, Ph.D.
Access Vision Care
Consultation and Rehabilitation Services
For Visually Impaired Persons, 
Netaim 76870, Israel


Welcome

International Journal of Orientation & Mobility • Volume 1, Number 1, 2008 5
Welcome
A Welcome From Jordie: Retired Guide Dog 
Of Australia’s Human Rights and Disability 
Discrimination Commissioner
Welcome to this the fi rst volume of the International Journal of Orientation & Mobility 
(IJOM). This journal is about your professional development, and I’m sure that all of you, 
who place great importance on honing and renewing your professional skills, will value it. 
I share that view, but thought that I should open the journal from a different perspective. 
The perspective of what your professional development, and for that matter your career, is 
all about.
During the last six years or so I sat patiently through all eight negotiating sessions at the 
United Nations in New York. These led to the development of the Convention on the Rights 
of People with Disabilities. I endured the long plane fl ights, the tedium and indignities of 
US airport security in a post 9-11 world, and the traffi c in New York being on the “wrong” 
side of the road. I tolerated the changes in diet and environment, and learned to negotiate 
my way around what is arguably the busiest city on the planet, or at least, in Sinatra’s words, 
“the city that never sleeps”.
The debates over the 50 articles of the Convention were lengthy and arduous, however, 
for the 650 million people with disabilities in the world, they were very important. The Con-
vention’s founding stones are independence and equality, in which the impact of disability 
is minimised, and inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of mainstream society 
is the outcome for which we all aim. 
However, having such a Convention is of little value if it is not put into practical effect. 
And, for people who are blind or have low vision, such independence cannot be achieved 
without the gaining and maintenance of orientation and mobility skills. This, in turn, is not 
achieved without the development, by you, of your professional skills, and by your ongoing 
support. So, as you read and appreciate the articles in this new journal, remember that the 
development of your professional skills has a much broader purpose: greater independence 
and inclusion for your clients.
Some of you provided me with my initial training, and others refreshed it over the years. 
As I lay beneath the desk of the Australian delegation at the UN while that Convention 
was negotiated, in the quieter moments of the debate, I thought that we wouldn’t have had 
quite the same input from Australia if your training hadn’t assisted me to get myself and my 
owner safely to and from those negotiations.
So thank you, enjoy and benefi t from the content of this journal, and continue to facilitate 
that independence and inclusion.
Jordie (Retired Guide Dog)/of Graeme Innes AM
Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Sydney, Australia.


A Welcome From Jordie: Retired Guide Dog Of Australia’s Human Rights and Disability Discrimination Commissioner

Madej, Tomasz

Flak-Nurzyńska, Joanna

Dutkiewicz, Ewa

Ciechomska, Anna

Kowalczyk, Jerzy

Wieczorek, Andrzej Paweł

Ultrasound image of malignant bone tumors in children. An analysis of nine patients diagnosed in 2011–2016

Szkodziak, Piotr

Czuczwar, Piotr

Pyra, Krzysztof

Szkodziak, Filip

Paszkowski, Tomasz

Tinto, Hugo Rio

Woźniak, Sławomir

Ascites Index – an attempt to objectify the assessment of ascites

Woźniak, Andrzej

Ultrasonographic criteria of cesarean scar defect evaluation

HAJIHASSAN, ZAHRA

TILKO, POURIA GHOLAMI

SADAT, SEYEDEH MAHDIEH

Improved Production of Recombinant Human β-NGF in Escherichia coli – a Bioreactor Scale Study

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