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In Re: Mansfield Public Schools – BSEA # 15-07326
Posted on August 13, 2015 July 7, 2020 by SPED-PAC
In Re: Mansfield Public Schools
BSEA # 1507326
This decision is issued pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), the Massachusetts special education statute (M.G.L. ch. 71B), the Massachusetts Administrative Procedure Act (M.G.L. ch. 30A), and the regulations promulgated under these statutes. This Decision is being issued on the basis of written submissions without a hearing pursuant to Rule XII of the Hearing Rules for Special Education Appeals.
The Student in this case (Student) is an eight-year-old rising fourth grader who carries a diagnosis of Autism. Student has received special education services under an IEP from Mansfield Public Schools (Mansfield or School) since first grade. The parties agree that Student requires extended school year (ESY) services pursuant to the requirements of 603 CMR 28.05.
Parent filed a Request for an Expedited Hearing on May 13, 2015 seeking an order finding Mansfield's proposed ESY program for summer 2015 inadequate to meet Student's needs. Parent seeks an order directing Mansfield to fund a summer 2015 placement for Student at The Bridge Center, which is a private summer program selected by Parent.
In its Response to Parent's Hearing Request, the District argues that its proposed ESY services for summer 2015 would provide Student with FAPE because they are reasonably calculated to prevent substantial loss of Student's skills and/or substantial difficulty in relearning skills.
The BSEA denied Parent's request for an expedited hearing and assigned a non-expedited hearing date of June 17, 2015. On May 29, 2015 the Hearing Officer conducted a conference call with the parties during which Parent requested that a decision be issued without a hearing under Rule XII of the BSEA Hearing Rules. In an Order dated June 1, 2015 the Hearing Officer memorialized the Parent's request, directed the School to report whether or not it would agree to proceed without a hearing, and advised the parties that by proceeding in this matter they would "waive the right to present the sworn oral testimony of witnesses, to cross-examine witnesses called by the opposing party, to present rebuttal testimony, and to have the Hearing Officer make findings regarding the credibility and persuasiveness of witness testimony."[1] By a letter dated June 2, 2015 the School agreed to a decision without a hearing pursuant to Rule XII. On June 9, 2015, after a second conference call, the Hearing Officer issued an order directing the parties to file all proposed exhibits by June 12, 2015 and all objections to exhibits by June 17, 2015. The Order further provided that the parties could file brief explanatory memoranda that would be considered as argument but not as evidence.
The record in this case consists of Parent's exhibits A through O (hereafter P-A through P-0) and School's exhibits 1-23 (hereafter S-1 through S-23) as well as memoranda from each party. Parent filed objections to parts of the School's memorandum on June 17, 2015 and the record closed on that day.[2]
On July 3, 2015 a Conclusion and Order was issued in advance of a full decision. That Conclusion and Order is attached to this Decision as Exhibit A and is incorporated in full.
ISSUES PRESENTED
The issues to be determined in this case are the following:
Whether the IEP and/or placement that Mansfield has proposed for Student's ESY program for summer 2015 is reasonably calculated to provide Student with a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment by being reasonably calculated to prevent substantial behavioral regression during that period;
If not, whether the IEP and/or placement can be modified to provide Student with FAPE as defined above;
If the School's proposed ESY program is not appropriate and cannot be made appropriate, whether the Parent's proposed ESY placement at The Bridge Center is appropriate for Student.
POSITION OF PARENT
During the 2014-2015 school year, Student experienced significant emotional dysregulation, primarily anxiety, at least partially because Mansfield provided an inadequate ESY program during the summer of 2014 as well as inappropriate reductions in service during Student's stressful transition to third grade. In order to succeed in Mansfield's proposed partial inclusion placement for fourth grade, Student needs to regain her emotional equilibrium and recover her ability to self-regulate over the summer. For this purpose, Student needs a consistent, full-day, full-summer therapeutic recreational program to implement her social-emotional IEP goals.
Mansfield's proposed ESY program is not calculated to provide Student with FAPE because it is a one-size-fits-all program that is not designed to address Student's unique needs stemming from her autism. The proposed 5-week program is too short in duration, entails too many transitions, and lacks the direct Occupational Therapy (OT), speech/language and ABA services that Student needs to prevent the undisputed, well-documented social, emotional and behavioral regression that Student experiences during even short breaks from school. On the other hand, the Parents' proposed ESY program operated by the Bridge Center would meet Student's needs by providing individualized full-day, full-summer programming with a low student to staff ratio, facilitation of friendships, skill-building, and implementation of Student's behavior plan. In the context of a therapeutic recreational program, the Bridge program would address Student's social, emotional and behavioral needs.
POSITION OF SCHOOL
Mansfield's proposed ESY program is calculated to meet Student's needs by providing her with 5 hours per day, 4 days per week for 5 weeks of individualized programming based on Student's IEP. The ESY program is reasonably calculated to prevent excessive regression in Student's academic, social/emotional and behavioral functioning during the summer vacation. The School's proposed program would provide Student with services of a certified special education teacher and familiar shared paraprofessional as well as consultation by an occupational therapist to address sensory needs and "as needed" support from a school psychologist to address Student's anxiety. Student would be paired with at least one familiar peer. In addition, three weeks of the ESY program would encompass recreational opportunities in an inclusive school-sponsored day camp with the support of a special education teacher and paraprofessional. By participating in the proposed program, Student would have the opportunity to strengthen her ties to her school building and peers.
On the other hand, the parent's proposed placement at the Bridge Center is overly restrictive and unnecessary to prevent substantial regression over the summer break.
Student is a bright, friendly, happy eight year old girl who lives with Parent in Mansfield. Student's eligibility for special education services from the Mansfield Public Schools is not in dispute.
The Parties substantially agree on Student's profile. On standardized testing, Student has demonstrated low-average to average cognitive functioning, with high average performance in some areas. Academically, Student has functioned at approximately grade level (slightly above grade level in some skills and slightly below in others) throughout her school career. Student communicates verbally and is able to relate to adults and peers. Student has many interests, including music and animals.
Student was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at two years old, at which time she began receiving Early Intervention (EI) services in speech/language, OT and physical therapy.
Student's autism manifests itself in social anxiety, sensory regulation difficulties and physical symptoms such as tics and hand-flapping. Parent reports that Student also has occasional difficulty communicating her needs in ways proper to the social context. (Parent's Ex. O-1)
Student attended the Norton Public Schools (Norton) for kindergarten (2011-2012 school year). A multi-disciplinary evaluation conducted by Norton indicated that Student had average intellectual functioning. She scored in the high average range for academic achievement in reading, written language, math problem solving and in the low average range for oral expression, numerical operations and expressive vocabulary. (Parent's Ex. A-9, A-11, A-12).
Despite Student's cognitive and academic strengths, testing, parent and teacher rating scales and observation revealed social/emotional struggles and difficulties with transition consistent with her diagnosis. On the teacher portion of the BASC, for example, Student was in the "At-Risk" range in the categories of hyperactivity, externalizing problems, somatization, attention problems, and adaptability, and in the "Clinically Significant" range in the categories of atypicality and withdrawal. Student struggled with attention and transitions, and needed redirection and reassurance to act appropriately. (Parent's Ex. A-9, A-11).
An OT re-evaluation conducted in February 2012 revealed continued weaknesses in Student's fine motor skills as well as difficulties in the areas of tactile sensitivity, auditory filtering/sensitivity, and sensory seeking behaviors. The OT report stated that difficulties modulating sensory input "may make it hard for [Student] to sit and attend in school." (Parent's Ex. A-14)
Student has received extended school year (ESY) services since her kindergarten year in Norton. Student's IEP from Norton dated 3/18/2012 to 3/17/2013 provided ESY services for 4.5 hours per day, 4 days per week for 5 weeks (4.5 hours x 4 days x 5 weeks) during the summer of 2012 between kindergarten and first grade. The ESY services from Norton were designed to address Student's IEP goals in speech and language, pragmatic language skills, social/behavioral skills, English Language Arts, (ELA) and mathematics, reflecting the areas of need revealed by Student's three year reevaluations. ESY services also included OT 1×30 minutes per week to address Student's fine motor and sensory issues. (Parent's ex. B-6)
Student entered the Mansfield Public Schools for first grade, at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. Initially Mansfield implemented the Norton IEP referred to above. After a Team meeting in February 2013 Mansfield issued a new IEP dated 2/6/2013 to 2/7/2014. Parent accepted this IEP and placement in full. (S-13).
In addition to providing for school-year services to Student in a partial inclusion placement, this initial Mansfield IEP provided ESY services for 4.73 hours[3] x 4 days x 5 weeks during the summer of 2013. The 2013 ESY services were designed to address Student's IEP goals in social/behavioral skills, ELA, and mathematics. This IEP also provided 30 minutes per week each of direct OT and speech/language therapy services during the five-week ESY session. (Parent's Ex. B-5)
Mansfield had supported its 2013 ESY proposal with statements from Student's teacher, OT, and speech therapist to the effect that Student regressed significantly in her academic, speech/language, OT, and social/behavioral functioning after even short school breaks of one week or less. (S-18, S-19)
On January 29, 2014, the Team convened for an annual review of Student's IEP. The Team chair's notes from this meeting stated that Student was making "excellent progress in all academic areas," as well as "excellent gains" in speech and language skills and OT. These notes recommend a replacement of direct OT services with a consult, with supplemental work on Student's sensory needs taking place "within the school day." (Parent's ex. E-5)
From this meeting came the IEP dated 1/29/2014 to1/29/2015, covering the latter portion of second grade and the first half of third grade. This IEP provided for a partial inclusion placement and contained updated speech /language, social/behavioral, ELA, and math goals. This IEP changed the predecessor IEPs by eliminating Student's OT goal. The IEP also reduced ESY services, removing OT as well as direct speech/language services from the ESY program for summer 2014. The IEP initially listed the ESY program as providing 5 hours x 4 days x 5 weeks during the summer of 2014 to address Student's social/behavioral, ELA, and mathematics goals.
A quarterly IEP progress report dated April 8, 2014 noted that Student "continues to make excellent progress in managing her behavior at school," though it also noted continued difficulties when routines are disrupted. The report stated that though Student was able to participate in game play with a familiar peer with direct or visual fading support, Student continued to prefer self-directed or solitary play. (S-17)
The parties agree that Student had successful first and second grade years at Robinson Elementary School in Mansfield. The Robinson School serves children in grades K through 2 only. After completing second grade, Robinson students transfer to the Jordan-Jackson Elementary School (JJ School) for grades 3 through 5. The Team met on May 15, 2014 to amend Student's IEP to prepare for Student's anticipated transition to the JJ School for third grade. At that meeting, School representatives on the Team recommended that for transition purposes, Student should attend the JJ School's ESY program rather than the Robinson ESY program that Student had attended in summer 2013.
The ESY program at the JJ School would offer Student 2 hours x 4 days x 5 weeks of services as opposed to the 5 hours x 4 days x 5 weeks of services offered at the Robinson (e., a reduction in total hours for the summer from 100 to 40 hours). (S-8) Parent inquired as to whether Student could attend partial days at the Robinson ESY program in addition to the ESY program at the JJ so that she could keep the full complement of ESY hours. Mansfield staff opined that such an arrangement would be confusing to Student. Ultimately, Parent accepted the amended IEP in full. This IEP ran from 5/14/14 – 1/29/15, covering the latter portion of second grade through the first portion of third grade, inclusive of summer 2014. (S-7)
The parties agree that Student had a difficult time transitioning from the Robinson School to the JJ School in the fall of 2014 (Parent's Ex. A-7). Student's teachers and Parent reported that Student showed increased anxiety and decreased attention following the move. In email correspondence with JJ staff, Parent reported that Student became sad in the evenings as she thought about going to school the next day. Parent further reported that while preparing for school in the mornings, Student often cried, complained of illness, and begged not to go to school. Student worried that she would make mistakes, and that teachers and classmates "hated" her. Student was so upset on some mornings that Parent had to carry her to the school bus. Any changes in routine, such as a change in bus drivers, increased Student's anxiety. Parent's consistent reassurance that Student would be safe at school, that she should try her best but did not need to be perfect, that no one "hated" her, that her teachers would care for her and keep her safe, etc. did not appear to alleviate Student's anxiety. (Parent's Ex. M-4, M-5)
Student's IEP progress report dated November 11, 2014 noted that Student demonstrated dysregulated behaviors leading up to and following days off from school, including long weekends and unexpected breaks. (D-2, S-17)
This progress report further stated that Student's inattention impeded some of her oral reading and math performance. (S-17)
Parent submitted a "Child's History Update" to Mansfield in conjunction with the November 2014 progress report. Parent stated that Student had shown satisfactory progress in academics, good progress in behavior, very good progress in socialization, and very good progress in self-care. Parent also noted Student's anxiety around school attendance. (S-17)
Mansfield conducted Student's three year reevaluation in January 2015 consisting of psychological, OT, educational and speech/language assessments. The psychological assessment revealed overall low-average cognitive functioning. Behavior rating scales showed "within normal limits" results on all areas but social skills on the Parent form. The teacher form showed "clinically significant" results in hyperactivity, anxiety, attention problems and atypicality. The school psychologist reported that Student showed signs of anxiety during testing that interfered with her performance. (Parent's Ex. A-2)
Student's OT evaluation reported that Student showed definite dysfunction in hearing, body awareness, balance and motion, and her total sensory system. The evaluator stated that Student's problems modulating sensory input, specifically in the areas of touch and body awareness, were affecting her performance in the classroom. The evaluator suggested that Student "could benefit from a daily sensory diet outlined by the Occupational Therapist." (Parent's Ex. A-4)
An educational assessment completed by Student's general education teacher noted that Student's school anxiety and attention difficulties had impacted her learning so that Student's progress has not been similar to that of her peers, but that Student's progress had been consistent over her personal history. The teacher also noted that Student did not interact in a meaningful way with her classmates.
Student's speech-language evaluation included a pragmatics profile. The report noted that Student displayed only a "limited understanding" of conversational rules, as "she does not maintain eye contact or make relevant contributions to a topic or interact in a structured group without being told to do so." The report further highlighted Student's difficulties in reading non-verbal cues such as tone of voice, gestures, and facial expressions, as well as understanding humor. (S-12)
Student's IEP Team convened on February 4, 2015 to discuss the results of the three year re-evaluation. The Team chair's meeting notes from this meeting reflected Parent's concerns, which included Student's ongoing anxiety, though it existed "to a lesser degree," and a "noted regression in standardized testing" since Kindergarten" (emphasis in original). (Parent's Ex. E-2) The general education teacher noted "a lot of anxiety" and that Student could become "overwhelmed." Student's special education teacher commented that Student was more relaxed and comfortable in a smaller setting, followed routines with minimal reminders, and participated actively, though she did require a high degree of support with tracking and comprehension. OT notes showed that Student's attention impacted her performance. (Parent's Ex. E-2)
The Team proposed a new IEP as a result of this meeting. This IEP, dated 2/4/2015 to 2/4/2016 encompassed the latter half of third grade and the first half of fourth grade, and included ESY services for summer 2015 (between third and fourth grade). The proposal for the 2015 ESY program, which is the subject of the instant hearing, called for 3 hours x 4 days x 5 weeks (totaling 60 hours) to address Student's social/behavioral, ELA, and math goals. (S-2)
Parent rejected this proposed IEP in a letter dated March 22, 2015. With respect to the ESY proposal, Parent stated that Student "really suffered" when her ESY services were reduced the previous summer and requested full-day ESY services. Parent also raised concerns about Student's heightened anxiety around school attendance and the discontinuance of OT services. (S-3),
Subsequently, Parent sought a private speech-language evaluation from Julie Meelia, MS-CCC-SLP and Director of Blue Dragonfly Children's Therapy. In a letter dated May 25, 2015 Meelia recommended that Student "may need a full day, socially supported, therapeutically supported program with as few transitions as possible" for ESY services. This letter was written before Meelia had the chance to observe Student. The full evaluation report was not available to the parties at the deadline for submission of documents, has not been considered by the Mansfield Team, and is not part of the record in this matter.
Program Proposed by the School
In response to Parent's rejection of the original IEP spanning 2/4/2015 to 2/4/2016, the School proposed an amendment which increased ESY services from three to five hours per day (from 3 hours x 4 days x 5 weeks to 5 hours x 4 days x 5 weeks, representing an increase from 60 to 100 total hours) running from 7/13/2015 to 8/13/2015.
Parent rejected this new proposal in a letter dated April 25, 2015. In that letter Parent argued that the ten minute weekly OT consultation contained in the School's proposal is inadequate and that Student requires direct OT services.[4] Parent also contended that the proposed ESY program would not address Student's increased anxiety when returning to school after breaks. (S-5)
In a letter dated June 4, 2015 Mansfield's Director of Special Education made its most recent proposal for the ESY program. Relevant portions of the letter are reproduced verbatim below:
A 5 hour, 5 week therapeutic summer program that runs from 7/13/15 – 8/13/15, Monday through Thursday. This classroom includes on-going reinforcement of academic and social thinking/behavioral skills.
A certified special education teacher with a familiar shared paraprofessional will support her during the summer program. In addition, a school psychologist will consult and provide services as needed to address any issues related to anxiety.
[Student's] positive behavior support and academic programs will continue to prevent significant regression.
[Student] will be paired with at least one friend she is familiar with to support peer interactions. Play, recreation, sensory integration breaks and strategies will be incorporated throughout the day.
OT will be consulted and available as needed.
As an additional part of this summer program, we propose inclusion opportunities for [Student], in order to continue to develop her social skills within the Mansfield Public Schools optional summer program available to all students on a fee-for-service basis; however, Mansfield Public Schools will fund this program for [Student]. The Champs Institute overlaps with our summer program for three weeks. During this time, with the assistance of a familiar and trained paraprofessional with oversight from a special education teacher, [Student] will be integrated with same age peers to develop friendships and engage in social conversations; all while enjoying age appropriate activities that we know she will be excited to participate in.
We also propose adding counseling to [Student's] service delivery to assist in monitoring school anxiety both during the summer and school year. It is important [Student] attend the Mansfield summer program to build these social relationships…. (S-6)
Program Proposed by Parent
Parent proposes a summer program at The Bridge Center. Located in Bridgewater, MA, the Bridge Center offers a broad variety of summer camp and recreational experiences to children and adults with disabilities. The Bridge Center offers campers "therapeutic recreation and traditional playtime activities in a supportive, small group environment" (Parent's ex. K-1).
The Bridge Center operates several different programs tailored to campers with varying disability-related needs. For example, the Center has separate programs for children and teens with physical limitations, behavioral challenges, and for teens with autism spectrum disorders. The program sought by the Parent within the Bridge umbrella is called Camp Discover, which serves campers with all degrees of disability between the ages of 4 and 22. Parent posits that this program would address Student's "important sensory and social skills needs," as well as her "Positive Behavioral Plan and related goals in her IEP."
In evidence is a list of The Bridge Center's staff. According to this list, the staff includes one individual with a Master's Degree in Special Education, and two individuals who are Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists. Both of these individuals are members of The Bridge Center's administration. (Parent's exhibit K-1) The documentary record contains no information about the qualifications of direct-care staff who would be interacting with Student on a daily basis if she were to attend.
There is no dispute that Student is a school-aged child with a disability who is eligible for special education and related services pursuant to the IDEA, 20 USC § 1400, et seq., and the Massachusetts special education statute, G.L. c. 71B ("Chapter 766"). Student is entitled, therefore, to a free appropriate public education, that is, "to a program and services that are tailored to [her] unique needs and potential, and designed to provide 'effective results' and 'demonstrable improvement' in the educational and personal skills identified as special needs." 34 C.F.R. 300.300(3)(ii); North Reading School Committee v. BSEA, 480 F. Supp. 2d 489 (D. Mass. 2007); citing Lenn v. Portland School Committee, 998 F.2d 1083 (1st Cir. 1993). While Student is not entitled to an educational program that maximizes her potential, she is entitled to one which is capable of providing not merely trivial benefit, but "meaningful" educational benefit. See Bd. of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, 458 US 176, 201 (1982); Town of Burlington v. Dept. of Education, 736 F.2d 773, 789 (1st Cir. 1984); D.B., et al. v. Esposito, et al., 675 F.3d 26, 34 (1st Cir. 2012).
In a due process proceeding to determine whether a school district has offered or provided FAPE to an eligible child, the burden of proof is on the party seeking relief. In the instant case, as the moving party challenging the School's proposed IEP, Parent bears this burden. That is, in order to prevail, Parent must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the IEP and ESY services offered by the District for the summer of 2015 are not appropriate, i.e., are not reasonably calculated to provide Student with FAPE. Schaffer v. Weast, 546 U.S. 49, 44 IDELR 150 (2005).
"Preponderance of the evidence" means that it is more likely than not that the School's proposed program is inappropriate and cannot be made appropriate with modifications ordered by the hearing officer. If the Parent meets this burden, then the hearing officer must consider whether the program proposed by the Parent is appropriate. If the Parent does not demonstrate the inappropriateness of the School's proposal, then the inquiry stops, and the hearing officer may not examine the merits of the Parent's proposal. Id.
Legal Framework for Extended School Year Services
While the IDEA does not explicitly require school districts to provide ESY services, applicable federal regulations do impose such a requirement "if a child's IEP team determines, on an individual basis…that the services are necessary for the provision of FAPE to the child." 34 CFR 300.106(a)(2)[5] This federal regulation establishes the following additional requirements for ESY programming at 34 CFR 300.106(a)(3)(i) and (ii):
(3) In implementing the requirements of this section, the public agency may not–
(i) Limit extended school year services to particular categories of disability or
(ii) Unilaterally limit the type, amount or duration of those services
In determining whether or not ESY services are necessary to provide a child with FAPE, many states, including Massachusetts, have adopted a so-called "regression and recoupment" standard. [6] The applicable Massachusetts regulation provides that ESY programs "may be identified if the student has demonstrated or is likely to demonstrate substantial regression in his or her learning skills and/or substantial difficulty in relearning such skills if an extended program is not provided." 693 CMR 28.05(4)(d)(1).
After careful review of documents and memoranda submitted by each party in light of the applicable legal standards articulated above, I conclude that the ESY program and services offered by Mansfield are not appropriate, but may be made appropriate as discussed below.
The parties agree and the record establishes that despite her disability, Student has many areas of strength, including a friendly, enthusiastic personality, the ability and willingness to learn, many solid academic skills, and a variety of interests. The parties also agree that Student's transition from the Robinson School to the JJ School was difficult. Student was generally happy and enthusiastic about school during first and second grade at the Robinson. After transitioning to the JJ School, Student had school-related anxiety, especially at home but also in school. Student expressed socially-related worries, e.g., the fear that teachers other children did not like her. This anxiety persisted through the school year despite Parent's and school staff's support and reassurance.
The documentary record establishes that throughout her school career, Student has experienced significant regression in her identified areas of need—academic, social/emotional and behavioral–during school breaks. This regression has occurred even after relatively short breaks such as long weekends. Mansfield has documented this regression in support of its recommendations for ESY programming during each summer of Student's tenure in the District.
Mansfield's most recent proposal for ESY services consists of 5 hours/day, 4 days/week of services for five weeks during summer 2015. The services are designed to maintain Student's academic and social thinking/behavioral skills. Student's positive behavior support plan will be continued through the summer. Student would be paired with at least one familiar peer and a familiar shared paraprofessional. The program will be overseen by a certified special education teacher. OT and school psychologist support would be available as needed. Counseling has also been offered. Finally, the School will fund three weeks of a general education summer program which Student could attend with the support of a paraprofessional.
The content of the School's proposed ESY program appears to be appropriate to meet Student's identified academic and social/behavioral needs. The proposed program as it stands does not offer the Student FAPE, however, because it is only of five weeks duration. Student would be without any ESY programming for an approximately two week period from August l7 until the first day of school on September 2, 2015.[7] This gap in service is problematic in light of Student's documented regression during even very short breaks in her school routine. Additionally, the School's proposal does not provide Parent with detailed information about how the proposed "overlap" between the ESY program and Summer of Champs Institute would be scheduled, does not explicitly state that the shared paraprofessional would accompany Student to the latter program, and does not indicate how Student would be supported through transitions. In light of the undisputed evidence in the record of Student's difficulties with transitions and uncertainty, such information-sharing between the School and Parent is critical so that both Parent and School staff can prepare and support Student in a collaborative manner.
If Mansfield extends Student's ESY program for an additional two weeks, to and including August 28, 2015, ensures that the paraprofessional actually accompanies Student to the Summer of Champs Institute, and provides Parent with the clarification about scheduling referred to above, the School's ESY program will be appropriate.[8] If Mansfield's "in house" ESY program normally ends on August 13, 2015, Mansfield, in collaboration with Parent, must locate or create an additional two weeks of appropriate ESY services for Student. Such services may have a therapeutic recreational focus, but must ensure adequate social/emotional and behavioral support for Student.
CONCLUSION AND ORDER
The Conclusion and Order issued on July 3, 2015 and effective immediately upon receipt by the parties is attached and incorporated by reference in this Decision. For convenience, the relevant portions are reproduced below, verbatim.
Based on the documents admitted into the record and in consideration of the arguments of the parties, I conclude that the ESY program proposed by Mansfield in Bernadette Conroy's letter of June 4, 2014 is not appropriate to provide the Student with FAPE. Mansfield's program can be made appropriate, however, by (1) extending the duration of the program for an additional two weeks, to and including August 28, 2015; (2) providing Parent with a detailed schedule explaining the "overlap" of the ESY program and Summer of Champs Institute as well as the interventions to be used to assist Student with any transitions involved; (3) clarifying and/or ensuring that the shared paraprofessional actually accompanies Student to the Summer of Champs Institute.
If the Mansfield ESY program does not normally extend to and including August 28, 2015, Mansfield shall, in collaboration with Parent, locate or create appropriate ESY programming for the remaining two week period. Such programming may have a therapeutic recreational focus.
Because I have found that Mansfield's program can be made appropriate for Student, I do not reach the issue of the appropriateness of the Bridge Center.
By the Hearing Officer
Sara Berman
Dated: July 28, 2015
[1] See Order issued by Hearing Officer on June 1, 2015.
[2] On June 18, 2015 the School submitted a June 12, 2015 report from a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) completed by Mansfield. Parent objected to inclusion of this report as an exhibit both because the Team had not yet reviewed the report and because she disagreed with certain portions of it. The Parent's objection is sustained and the FBA report is not included in the record.
[3] Expressed in IEP as 284 minutes.
[4] In its Response to Parent's Hearing Request, the District contends that Student does not require direct OT services.
[5]The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). which issues the federal regulations implementing the IDEA, has commented that "[t]he requirement to provide ESY services to children with disabilities who require such services in order to receive FAPE reflects a longstanding interpretation of the Act by the courts and the Department [of Education]." 71 F.R. 156, p. 46582 (August 14, 2006).
[6] The USDOE comment associated with 34 CFR 300.106 states that this standard is "derived from well-established judicial precedents." The comment further states that states may, but need not use regression and recoupment as their sole criteria for ESY eligibility. 71 F.R. 156 p. 46582 , supra
[7] Administrative notice is taken of the Mansfield Public Schools calendar for 2015-2016, found on the District's website. This calendar indicates that September 2, 2015 is the first day of school for Grades 1 through 12 in Mansfield.
[8] Parent has asserted that the absence of direct OT, speech/language and ABA services renders the ESY program inappropriate and contends that the consultative model proposed would be inadequate to prevent regression. Parent has not presented sufficient documentary evidence to support this position with respect to the ESY program.
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South Asian Edition of Marino's The Little ICU Book Quick lookup for the most essential info in critical care! Ideal for quick reference at the bedside, The Little ICU Book is a condensed, compact version of The ICU Book, Dr. Marino's best-selling comprehensive intensive care reference. The Little ICU Book zeroes in on only the essentials for the hands-on care of critically ill adult patients. Its fastaccess format makes it an indispensable resource for residents as well as busy critical care physicians.
Online resources are not available with this text.


As the first school in New Zealand to become a Visible Wellbeing™ School, Marsden is proud to be the lead provider of positive education in the country.
Staff from Karori and Whitby, together with a selection of senior student representatives, attended an intensive 2 day Visible Wellbeing™ workshop this week with leading positive psychology expert, Professor Lea Waters PhD.
Lea and her team have developed the Visible Wellbeing™ approach which combines the science of wellbeing and the science of learning and teaching to make wellbeing visible across all year levels, subjects and cocurricular activities. The VWB techniques help teachers use the learning process itself as a delivery mechanism to build student wellbeing. It's not a set curriculum, but a flexible approach which can be applied in all learning contexts across all year levels.
After 2 days the feedback from attendees has been immensely positive and we can already see the potential benefits, not only for our students' wellbeing and academic success, but for us all in many aspects of our lives.
Thank you Lea, for partnering with us and inspiring us to become leaders in wellbeing education. We look forward to our next session with you in the middle of the year.


text:
The Future of Mobile Health: How Apps Could Revolutionize Healthcare
The hospital is going to be a very different place in the 2020s than it has been up until now. Increasingly, doctors and nurses are going to be incorporating mobile devices and wireless technologies into patient health care, and this is called mobile health or mHealth.
In a 2018 study done by Zebra Technologies, it was estimated that by the year 2022, 97 percent of hospital nurses, and 98 percent of hospital doctors will be using mobile devices in treating their patients.
RELATED: 5 USEFUL APPS THAT CAN ASSIST IN THE TREATMENT FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER
Already, these devices are helping nurses reduce errors in administering medication, aiding in specimen labeling, and reducing preventable medical errors.
In the future, doctors and nurses will be able to use their mobile devices to access medical and drug databases, laboratory results and electronic health records (EHRs).
The "everything store" jumps in
Also entering the mHealth arena is "everything store" Amazon. In April 2019, Amazon announced that their voice-activated virtual assistant Alexa can now handle medical data.
RELATED: 5 WAYS YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH WITH TECHNOLOGY IN 2019
Alexa will be able to relay and store blood sugar measurements taken by internet-connected monitoring devices, interface with doctor's offices to schedule appointments, provide patients post-operation instructions, and order and deliver prescriptions from pharmacies.
In the U.S., all medical-related software has to be compliant with the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). Currently, Amazon has approved only six developers to create Alexa-enabled portals into users' medical information. That information will be protected by encryption and access controls, and it will be kept in secure storage in the Amazon cloud.
This new software has been created at a secret Amazon lab variously called 1492, the Amazon Grand Challenge, and Amazon X. The lab is also reportedly creating a platform for electronic health records, and telemedicine health care apps. A telemedicine app would allow a virtual consultation with your doctor from anywhere in the world.
Jeff Bezos, Jamie Dimon, and Warren Buffett
In June 2018, Amazon paid $1 billion in cash for online pharmacy startup PillPack, which ships prescription medications directly to customers' doorsteps.
In March 2019, Amazon whose CEO is Jeff Bezos, partnered with bank JP Morgan Chase which is headed by Jamie Dimon, and the holding company Berkshire Hathaway, headed by legendary investor Warren Buffet. Together, these behemoths are launching a new health care venture whose name has only recently been made public - Haven. The venture is headed by a surgeon, Harvard professor, and writer Atul Gawande.
According to its website havenhealthcare.com, Haven is intended to improve access to primary care, simplify insurance and make prescription drugs more affordable, initially for the combined 1.2 million employees of Amazon, Berkshire, and JPMorgan. Later, it plans "to share our innovations and solutions to help others."
The new venture has already raised fears among health insurers and drugmakers who fear Haven will use its collective power to disrupt established players. According to its website, Haven has promised to be free from profit-making incentives and constraints and to reinvest any surplus profit into its work.
See one, do one, teach one
Another entry into the mHealth universe is the Touch Surgery mobile app. Created by two surgeons, Jean Nehme, and Andre Chow, Touch Surgery has over 150 surgical simulations including, "Le Fort I Osteotomy" and "Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair," that anyone can download for free and practice with.
Watch the video: How mobile technology is revolutionizing medical devices (January 2022).
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Hybrid RF Combiner, Splitter / Divider
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Montgomery County Community College women's volleyball player Rebecca Godshall has been named EPAC Athlete of the Week by the conference office.
Rebecca Godshall, a freshman from Souderton High School, PA, helped lead Montgomery County Community College to a 4-0 record last week. She had 57 kills, 80 digs, 14 aces, and 5 assists during the week.


I just got back from vacationing in Italy and Austria. While in a clothing store in Milan, I noticed the designation for what is on their three store levels. Maybe this is why some European countries do better in math than we do.


Prevents solar panels from over-charging and destroying a battery during long periods of sunny summer weather.
Strongly advised for solar panels 20 watts or more.
For more detailed installation, follow the steps in the instruction book provided and download the diagram above.


Recently I've been working on a piece of code which would obtain an instance of SPFile using either a GUID or the server relative URL. You don't have to search long to find out that the SPWeb provides a method to do that: GetFile(String). According to the WSS v3 SDK it should return the file object located at the specific URL.
While checking if it was working as I was expecting it to, I have found out that it actually doesn't. The GetFile method returned an instance of SPFile but the Exists property returned false. The same behavior has been noticed by Julie Lerman among others. As I haven't found any clear explanation of such behavior, I have decided to have a closer look at it myself.
First of all I have reflected the contents of the GetFile method. Inside I've found a rather quite odd choice made by the WSS team. The first thing they do is to obtain a web relative URL of the file you want to get. Passing a URL like "/site/subsite1/Pages/default.aspx" returns "site/subsite1/Pages/default.aspx". While calling the GetFile method from the SPSite.RootWeb the URL is still valid, right? Calling the GetFile method will return an instance of SPFile but the value of the Exists property will be false: you haven't got a file at all.
To make things even worse, the SPFile constructor is internal, so you cannot instantiate new SPFile: the only way to go is to get a valid reference.
// f.Exists == true ?!
From what I've found out earlier the first two were predictable. But what about the last one? The GetFile method returns actually a valid instance of the default.aspx file! I have done some extra research on the RootWeb object to find out whether it was containing any reference to the /site/subsite1/ URL but no: it's just seems to be an ordinary instance of the SPWeb class.
As you have noticed, the method above is an extension method so you can use the convenient SPWeb.GetFileObject(url) syntax to get the file object from a URL. You might want to return a null value instead of throwing an exception. I have chosen no to for two reasons. First of all we have created this method for convenience and simplicity right? You don't want to check it for null value each time. In contrary to the GetFile(string) method, the GetFileOrFolderObject(string) method throws a FileNotFoundException exception when there is no file or folder at the given URL. In most cases you will want to catch that exception and handle it in your custom code. Throwing one more shouldn't be therefore a problem.


Saltpietro filed his lawsuit in December after learning the company used various excuses to cancel other orders of the discounted PlayBooks and was now saying that customers could order the tablets only at their regular pricing. Ron Backer, an attorney representing Saltpietro, said the companies violated fair trade laws by using the lower prices to lure people into making orders and then canceling the sales while offering the same product at a higher price.
"They didn't say they didn't have it in stock," Backer said. "They came up with other excuses." It's a come-on to try to lure people to the store with something you really don't have, he said. The suit was originally filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas, but has since moved to federal court in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Did any of you experience ordering issues such as this?


In the year, 2005 a major outbreak of the bacterium E. coli perished in the South Wales and more than 157 people were affected by this bacterium, which mainly included the children. The reason found out behind this incident was connected with a meat supplier who used to serve the local schools and old age homes. A five-year-old child lost his life during the course of this outbreak. Therefore, this paper is written with the aim of exploring the outbreak of E. coli in South Wales, to witness the actual reasons of the diseases, the difficulties that arise during the course of the event and to give a look on the things that this incident has taught us.


After Carole Adler's 21-year-old son died while training to become a Colorado State Trooper, she continued to text the cadet's phone, saying she loved and missed him, trying to mend her broken heart.
One day, she got a text back.
Kell Husley, a police sergeant in Greeley, Colorado, received a new phone number and was getting the messages Adler was sending to her boy, Taylor Thyfault.
STORY: Parents Confess: Do You Read Your Kids' Texts?
"So I sent a text back and identified myself, and said 'I'm with the Greeley Police Department, and I don't think your texts are going where you think they are,'" Husley told the KUSA television station in Denver.
That text began a relationship between the grieving mother and police sergeant who was doing the job that Thyfault was determined to do.
Thyfault had many goals for his life. His high school do-list included some teenage pipe dreams – wrestle an alligator, swim with sharks, go cliff diving – and some goals he was able to accomplish – graduate high school, join the army, be the best son possible.
Then, in May, Thyfault was struck and killed by a driver-on-the-run during a police chase near Longmont, Colorado. The driver accused of killing the cadet has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder – another police officer was critically injured — according to Longmont Times-Call.
At first, Husley, a 33-year veteran officer, ignored the texts that were coming over his new phone, which had been assigned Thyfault's old number. Then, after a particularly wrenching message, he texted the cadet's mother and offered to change the number.
Adler, however, likes the connection, the kismet of her boy's cell phone number resting with a police officer. And Husley likes hearing about Thyfault's passion, which reminds him of his cadet days.
Taylor Thyfault was posthumously promoted to a Colorado State Patrol Trooper, according to a memorial Facebook page.
Yahoo Parenting was unable to reach Adler or Husley for comment.


text:
Interview with Helena: "I expect to get a lot of inspiration, and time for reflections, own thoughts!"
April 17, 2011 April 17, 2011 by Judith
Helena Josefsson's second album "Kyss mej" was released in February. Almost at the same time, the documentary film "Jag är min egen Dolly Parton" about Dolly Parton, which featured her and other Swedish female artists, was premiered in the cinemas in Sweden.
We wanted to know more about Helena's career so we interviewed her while she is in South America on tour with Roxette.
Roxetteblog: Let's start with some background, how did you start to play music, get in to music? Did you study music?
Helena: My family on my mother´s side is very musical, my grandfather (now 93 years old, still playing the violin!) played in orchestras, and my grandmother had a record store!
When I was 2,5 years, my mother let me take dancing classes, and from that day, that is my absolute favourite hobby! At the age of 7, I started singing in a girl´s choir, and started playing the piano. But I was no good student there, liked to make my own little songs better! The choir was an amazing experience, an angelic sound that cannot be made with adult voices- even though I try ;o). But it is so fantastic in a choir, every voice is as important, it is like one big body moving towards the same dynamics and expression…
In high school I had my first experience of playing and singing in a band. And I loved it – expressing myself through music – and the stage quickly gave me some space to be whoever I want to be. In college I chose an education with science and music – we sang in a choir. After the first half, my results in school got worse because I knew music was the main issue for me. I remember having five different bands running, and dancing up to five times a week. I remember getting up really early in the mornings, doing my homework, and on the school bus, since I lived in the countryside. I remember my older sister coming into my room, removing the book from my face as I had fallen asleep with it like that!
I have always been very ambitious, almost too much. Sometimes my stomach really hurt from stress, in this period, trying to be great in school even though my passion got all the time I had.
RXB: And how many instruments do you play?
H: The piano and the triangle 🙂
RXB: Hey, don't forget the tambourine! You have released a couple of solo albums but also some with Sandy Mouche. When did you start to compose your own songs?
H: I think it really started around the age of , maybe, 14?
RXB: Can you tell us more about Sandy Mouche? How did you found the band? Are you still playing together?
H: Yes, we are recording our third album now! We have recorded six songs so far, and when we have fifteen, we will choose the best ones and release it.
My husband Martinique, I and Per Blomgren (drummer ) and his girlfriend went on a vacation together in Georgopouli, Greece in 2001. Martinique had written a song, he showed it to us there on the beach bar, it was "A Year". We loved it! There on that beach, we decided to found a group together, and feeling the sand and the fact that we all had mouches on our left side of the chin, became "Sandy Mouche".
Per and I had played a lot together in a band called Plastic Soul, and Martinique and Per´s girlfriend Hanna were in the same class.
RXB: Where do you get the inspiration for your songs? And what was the motivation to release first "Dynamo" and now "Kyss mej"?
H: I noticed, on the second Sandy Mouche album, that some of my ideas would be better for a solo project. As a band you have a big quality in being different persons
that really merge together musically, and that is something I want us to use. But I started trying to do other things that were more "produced", the song "In The Sand" draws in that direction. Then the band identity can become an obstacle instead.
For example, you don't want a drum kit in the song, but then the drummer can get bored. And what really gives "Sandy Mouche" our sound in the way that "Neons", "Fairies and Elves" and "Spiderweb Suit" is something only we four can do together.
On the other hand, being a solo artist opens more possibilities, because I don't have to compromise with anything.
RXB: You have written songs in English, Swedish, even some French. What language do you feel more comfortable with? Do you think language influences the lyrics? Like for example Swedish more personal, English more "fun"?
H: Yes, I agree! For example, when I use French, I feel it helps the music get more romantic, because you don't follow the words and their meaning, it is more like a "sound".
I was trying to record "Kyss Mej" with my own south-Swedish accent, but the whole voice changes depending on how you hold your mouth, throat and tongue! And in my case the voice got clearer and lighter in "Stockholm"-accent. The voice is such a funny instrument 🙂
RXB: And what about your favourite artists, artists who inspire you? What styles do you like?
H: I love Kate Bush, The Cure, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, The Cardigans, Nick Drake, Nina Simone, Monica Zetterlund, Elis Regina (from Brazil), Astrud Gilberto, The Cranberries and so on…, choir music, birdsong!
But I can get a kick out of hard-rock, like metal, too. The energy in it!
RXB: Even though you worked with Per in his solo projects and went on tour with him a couple of times, you have joined Roxette for the first time now. What is the biggest difference between Gessle's tour in 2009 – where you performed Roxette songs as well – and this tour? Of course, besides that now Marie is back.
H: The biggest difference must be that we are playing in more parts of the world, and that I am more a backing vocalist now, before I sang more.
RXB: What do you expect of this tour?
H: I expect to get a lot of inspiration, and time for reflections, own thoughts!
RXB: It's quite a huge tour.. visiting all continents and being around for almost a year. How do you combine it with your family?
H: My husband is amazing!! And the audience pulls me up when I miss my family too much!
RXB: Are there any Rox songs you really like or prefer to play on the tour?
H: I like Joyride, Silver Blue and Opp Nox the most:) But I hope we will play more from the new album soon!
RXB: If I don't remember wrong, you were studying to become an optician.. is that right? If so, can you tell us about that? It's quite different to what we know of you so far..
H: Yes, my sister is an optician. The Party Crasher tour was tough because my son was so young, and I was feeding him at night, I got very tired. I thought that maybe I need another job that is easier to plan. But I realized quickly that musician is my right element!
RXB: By reading your lyrics and reading about the "squirrel-action", I get the impression you are a person who is very connected to nature. Are you vegetarian? What is nature for you?
H: I am selectarian, eat meat sometimes if it is game, but mainly fish! Yes, I love nature, and children too. I hope my music and voice can do good in some way.
RXB: And last but not least, can you tell us a bit more about the Dolly Parton film? Is there more to come?
H: We made a tribute to her, and it was filmed. The photographer decided to follow us for five years, and it became a movie, and yes, a record and concerts will follow!
Helena performing Stars with Roxette in Cordoba, Argentina (April 7th, 2011)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQYxYS_UrG4&feature=youtu.be
Categories Band Members, Exclusive, Interview Tags Dolly Parton, Helena Josefsson, Interview, Kyss mej, Roxette, World Tour 2011 Post navigation
World Tour 2011: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – April 16 #16
World Tour 2011: Belo Horizonte, Brazil – April 17 #17
10 thoughts on "Interview with Helena: "I expect to get a lot of inspiration, and time for reflections, own thoughts!""
Fantastic interview, I have always been a fan of Helena and we share a common theme we are both left-handed :p I love the new album and it is currently the most played album of the year (Sorry Roxette!). I think she is a fabulous performer on the stage with Per and also now with Marie, she brings a kind of energy to the stage with her voice and style and I hope she's at the Wembley show this year as it is going to be the only show I can now make! 🙁
Ah, it's finally up! Another lefty here. 😛
seeing the video make wanna cry remembering how excellent Marie sang the Stars last time. If only she could remember all the lyrics like last time she would have sung it thousand time better than Helena. (Helena's voice is also beautiful not it's too soft and not Roxing at all :))
Marie is the best singer ever, sorry Helena you are really not my taste.
Can anybody let me know why Marie is having a difficulty in memorizing the lyrics after she recovered?
I heard that she lost the ability to talk, writing and counting, is that true? could it be one of the reason why?
tomos85
Hi roxo. Yes, Marie has difficutlites with remembering lyrics after the brain tumour, that is the reason why Roxette perform only 3 new songs with Per's vocals mostly. Marie remember quite well old-days-lyrics, but has problems with learning new ones by heart.
As for talking – she speaks okay in Swedish, but her English language abilities are much lower nowdays than they were before – building a sentence is kind of hard for her (though, frankly speaking, Marie was never good at English 😉
Anyway, we love her. Who really cares if she doesn't speak English anymore? She's alive, she happy more than ever and enjoying her life. That's good.
Marie was also left with Epilepsy after the illness, if she is taking medication to control this then it is likely to affect her concentration and memory, trust me… I take a drug for Epilepsy called Topiramate although for something else and it seriously screws with your memory and concentration, more often than not I cannot remember what I did last week, although long term memory is okay, but short term memory is poor!
Well, Marie's lyrics memory got already worse before the tumor. It's not all in the illness. 😉
I actually thought the other day that she had been probably living with the tumour in her brain for years, so maybe some of the "memory loss" was already an effect of the tumour? Who knows what symptoms she had already which nobody connected to a tumour.. these things can grow slowly too.. :/
Anyway, she is fine now which is the most important 🙂
That's true again! But then I know many people with bad memory, myself included. It doesn't get better with age. 😛
you ask me 😀 I surely cannot memorizse as good as some years ago, I remember I learnt songs (any, not only rox) after 2x listening.. now it takes a lot of time.. if at all 😀
And I do make mistakes singing Rox along.. noticed last year in the shows 😛
Thanks Tomos85 and others for your info.
So the illness really make her having difficulties remembering new things.
That's why you are saying she has to learn by heart, aren't you?
But luckily those old memories are still well kept 🙂
But I don't care at all, I'm more than grateful that she's alive, safe and sound. Even though I never met her but I know she's such a kind hearted lady that's why this miracle happen on her. keep it up Marie!


text:
What does Bon Scott say at the end of night prowler?
The song ends with lead singer Bon Scott muttering, "Shazbot! Nanu nanu!", the catchphrase used by Robin Williams on the popular sitcom Mork and Mindy.
Who sang night prowler?
Night Prowler/Artists
What album was night prowler on?
Night Prowler/Album
Did ACDC perform night prowler live?
LIVE WIRE AC/DC TRIBUTE "NIGHT PROWLER" Live Finland 2006 – YouTube.
What type of music do serial killers listen to?
Film and television tell their audiences that serial killer music tends to be classical, usually opera or something by Wagner, but the favorite music of killers actually has a more populist slant. One of the biggest serial killers of all time loved AC/DC and Judas Priest, for instance.
Who started ACDC band?
AC/DC were formed in November 1973 by brothers Angus (lead guitar) and Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar), with the original lineup also including vocalist Dave Evans, bassist Larry Van Kriedt and drummer Colin Burgess.
How did ACDC affect the world?
Rock n' roll, in its 70 or so years of existence, has changed the world, its influence far-reaching way beyond the music itself. It has informed, influenced, and soundtracked many aspects of popular culture, and AC/DC, without a doubt, are of the most popular bands to ever do it.
Where can I find the song'Dirty Deeds Done dirt cheap'?
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap is found on the album AC/DC Live [Collector's Edition] . Ride On, Bon!
Is AC/DC a hitman band?
Not necessarily a hitman, but someone who does dirty deeds (roughing-up, adultery, murder) for cheap. AC/DC is one of the most straight-forward bands on Earth. Aside from a liberal use of double entendres, what you hear is pretty much what you get with them.
Did AC/DC use double entendres in their songs?
@bbzzdd AC/DC were known for their "double entendres", as we all know from the song "Big Balls". Sydney Australian phone numbers were 6 digits back then, but the numbers chosen are the alleged ideal woman's measurements. My Interpretation To start off with, this is from what I hear and deem to make sense.
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text:
Q: node.js: Return from function not acting as expected I'm very new to javascript/node.js and I'm having trouble with the following code. This is the handler for API an call. The 2nd code segment is just like the 1st, except there is an additional database lookup Merchant.findOne(...), and therefor the 'newTransaction.save()' function is nested one level deeper.
Both code segments return the 'output' variable value correctly. However, the second code segment does NOT also properly save the 'newTransaction' to the Mongo database.
I'm pretty sure the issue has to do with how/when the code returning from newTransaction.save(function (err, transaction){..} but I can't seem to get it straightened out.
I have been looking all over the internet trying to understand and fix this, with no success. Any help is appreciated...
Here is the older, simpler code that works as expected:
 handler : function(request, reply) {

        var output = {
            "success": true,
            "operations": [],
            "epoch": Date.now()
        };

        Terminal.findById(request.payload.deviceNumber, function (err, terminal) {
            if (err) {
                return reply(Boom.internal('Error looking up terminal.', err));
            }
            if (terminal) {

                ticket.quote("bitstamp", "USD", 1, function (err, exchangeRate) {
                    if (err) {
                        console.error(err);
                        return reply(Boom.internal('Error obtaining ticket quote.', err));
                    }

                  var newTransaction = new Transaction({
                        terminal: request.payload.deviceNumber,
                        merchant: terminal.merchant,
                        ccExchangeRate: exchangeRate.buy,
                        fiatAmtDue: request.payload.transactionValue,
                        ccAmtDue: ccAmtDueTruncated
                    });

                    newTransaction.save(function (err, transaction){
                        if (err) {
                            return reply(Boom.internal('Error creating new transaction.', err));
                        }

                        output.operations.push(
                            {
                                "control": "KeyPairGenControl",
                                "rand": cc.pseudoRandomBytes(32).toString('hex'),
                                "follow": {
                                    "url": "/pos/v1/AddressAndEncKey",
                                    "post": {
                                        "transactionId": transaction.transactionId
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        );

                        return reply(output);

                    });

                });
            } else {
                return reply(Boom.internal('Error looking up terminal.', err));
            }
        });
    }

Here is the new code that does NOT save the newTransaction data into the Mongo DB.
handler : function(request, reply) {

        var output = {
            "success": true,
            "operations": [],
            "epoch": Date.now()
        };

        Terminal.findById(request.payload.deviceNumber, function (err, terminal) {
            if (err) {
                return reply(Boom.internal('Error looking up terminal.', err));
            }
            if (terminal) {

                Merchant.findOne({merchantId: terminal.merchant}, function(err, merchant) {
                    if (err) {
                        console.log('Cannot find merchant');
                        return reply(output);
                    }
                    var processor = merchant.backendPaymentProcessor.name;
                    var localCurrency = merchant.localFiatCurrency;
    //###################
                    ticket.quote(processor, localCurrency, 1, function (err, exchangeRate) {
                        if (err) {
                            console.error(err);
                            return reply(Boom.internal('Error obtaining ticket quote.', err));
                        }

                        var newTransaction = new Transaction({
                            terminal: request.payload.deviceNumber,
                            merchant: terminal.merchant,
                            ccExchangeRate: exchangeRate.buy,
                            fiatAmtDue: request.payload.transactionValue,
                            ccAmtDue: ccAmtDueTruncated
                        });

                        newTransaction.save(function (err, transaction){
                            if (err) {
                                return reply(Boom.internal('Error creating new transaction.', err));
                            }

                            output.operations.push(
                                {
                                    "control": "KeyPairGenControl",
                                    "rand": cc.pseudoRandomBytes(32).toString('hex'),
                                    "follow": {
                                        "url": "/pos/v1/AddressAndEncKey",
                                        "post": {
                                            "transactionId": transaction.transactionId
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                            );

                            return reply(output);

                        });

                    //return reply(output);

                    });
    //###################
                });
            } else {
                return reply(Boom.internal('Error looking up terminal.', err));
            }
        });
    }

A: I did a diff of your 2 version:

Check 1
ticket.quote

*

*Callback are identical for both version

*processor, localCurrency are different

*

*Is exchangeRate pass into callback correct?

Check 2
newTransaction.save

*

*newTransaction and callback for .save are setup identical

*

*Check(console.log()) the values used in setting up new Transaction({...})

*Check transaction object received by callback

*Check/debug the code of Transaction.save().

I don't think the issue is with the code you posted. Both version reached return reply(output); inside newTransaction.save's callback. Very likely issue is inside Transaction class or Transaction.save() logic.
One scenario I can think of is when a transaction failed:

*

*Transaction object is available (even for failed transaction)

*Transaction Class / Transaction.save() does not write to db because transaction failed

*Transaction.save() pass transaction object to callback, but NOT setting err, even when it should.

A: Mongoose having a feature to specify the collection name under the schema, or as the third argument when declaring the model. Otherwise it will use the pluralized version given by the name you map to the model.
Mongoose official doc having following statement:
Mongoose by default produces a collection name by passing the model name to the utils.toCollectionName method. This method pluralizes the name. Set this option if you need a different name for your collection.

schema-mapped:

new Schema({ <key>: <value>},
       { collection : '<collection name>' });   // collection name

model-mapped:

mongoose.model('<Model name>',
           new Schema({ <key>: <value>}),
           '<collection name>');     // collection name

You may also find same here

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
asphalt (Geol.). A bituminous deposit formed in oil-bearing strata by the removal, usually through evaporation, of the volatiles. Occurs in the 'tar pools' of California and elsewhere and in the 'pitch lake' of Trinidad, whence enormous quantities are exported. (The Woodsworth Dictionary of Science and Technology, 1995)
For immigrants and visitors to Trinidad, the Pitch Lake in La Brea always was a source of wonderment. None of them would have known anything similar from their home countries, except for maybe those from alpine regions, who might have compared it to a 'black glacier'.
Charles Kingsley, the world-famous author who visited Trinidad in 1870, starts his description of the Pitch Lake with a rather non-chalant account of what we dread nowadays as the ultimate ecological disaster: a marine oil-spill.
"The same cause that produced the Pitch Lake has produced the submarine spring of petroleum, off the shore near Point Rouge, where men can at times skim the floating oil off the surface of the sea."
Asphalt and tar have been in use for centuries to caulk ships. Governor Chacon even shipped quantities of it to Spain in the late 1780s, supposedly for that same purpose. But what else could be done with it? The asphalt the pitch lake oozes up is a mix of mud and tar, full of mineral deposits and vegetable matter. In the 1820s, Governor Ralph Woodford used it to fuel a beacon over the Trinity Cathedral. Some three decades later, in 1850, Lord Dundonald tested the use of pitch as a fuel for the steamers that connected Port-of-Spain with the south of Trinidad - a successful experiment, which however was not put into large-scale practice.
It was around that time as well that asphalt was used as a road surface covering for the first time. Conrad Stollmeyer, a German immigrant with a great entrepreneural spirit, supplied the pitch to cover a track for the mule-trams to facilitate the transport of sugar between San Fernando and Cipero Creek. In the following years, Stollmeyer shipped several hundred tons of asphalt to Europe. In 1859, he started to distill oil for lamps from the asphalt - and to this day, Trinidadians call kerosene 'pitch-oil'.
During the 1854 cholera epidemic, Stollmeyer brought asphalt to Port-of-Spain in large quantities to be burnt in barrels at every street corner. People of the time believed that the smoke 'purified the air', and it was used by the medical authorities as a means to curb cholera. The epidemic claimed nearly a fifth of the urban population, and even Stollmeyer himself almost died from it. Shortly afterwards, he instigated the then Governor, Lord Harris, to levy a tax on rum to raise funds to supply water to Port-of-Spain from the Maraval river, and that was probably his more effective contribution to fighting cholera than burning pitch!
It was not until the 1890s that asphalt came into common use for road surfacing. The first road to be covered were Clarence Street (then the upper part of Frederick Street), Frederick Street and Oxford Street. But as Michael Anthony recounts in his book 'First in Trinidad', horses and people were not very enthused about the smooth surfaces, which had been constructed convex for better drainage. It was only in the early 20th century and with the advent of cars that the pitch lake started to provide accepted surfacing for our roads.
Labels: Charles Kingsley, Pitch Lake


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text:
Research Toolbox
Join the CTN
Using mRNA technology to arm the immune system against HIV
By: Alison Muller
Development of mRNA vaccines has opened a brand-new tool for researchers to use in the fight against HIV.
A new frontier in medical technology
When the COVID-19 outbreak (caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2) began approaching pandemic status, it was clear that science needed to find an efficient, effective, and swift solution to combat it. This was mRNA's time to shine! But could this increased attention on mRNA mean that it could soon be used for other diseases like HIV?
mRNA is a single strand of genetic material used to transfer genetic information from DNA, protected inside the cell nucleus, to the protein-building machinery of the cell, called ribosomes.
Since its discovery in 1964, mRNA has been studied by scientists to better understand how cells function. In the 1980s, scientists figured out how to build mRNA molecules in a lab environment. It was then possible to consider using mRNA as a medical treatment. The first mRNA vaccines in the 1990s were for influenza. The first ever mRNA treatment, for a rare form of blindness, was approved in 2017. Although having mRNA technology as a treatment option has only recently begun, the mRNA molecule itself has been studied for decades. It is an inexpensive, naturally occurring, easily modifiable compound that can be quickly manufactured.
Using mRNA to fight a virus starts with understanding the genetic signature of the virus. This is done with DNA sequencing, which tells scientists how the virus's genetic material is arranged. Determining the genetic code of COVID-19 helps us understand what it is made of and how it works. DNA sequencing of COVID-19 revealed that spike proteins — molecules that stick out of viruses allowing them to infect other cells — could be a potential target for the immune system and mRNA vaccines. Scientists also found that COVID-19 spike proteins are similar to those of HIV. In fact, COVID-19 and HIV share several similarities. This means that the knowledge gained from understanding and fighting COVID-19 could potentially be applied to beating HIV. It all starts where life begins, at the genetic level.
mRNA & vaccines
DNA is our genetic blueprint, instructing our cells to produce the proteins that make our bodies perform necessary functions for life. All cells throughout the body share the same DNA, but have different functions based on the proteins they build. For example, skin cells make keratin, the protein in hair, and beta cells in the pancreas make insulin. Both these cells have the same DNA, but it would not make sense for beta cells to grow hair or for the skin to make insulin. These cells know which proteins they need to make because of mRNA. mRNA is a messenger molecule that transfers specific instructions from the DNA, safely stored in the cell nucleus, to the protein-building area of the cell. Without interacting with your DNA, mRNA vaccines use this cellular messaging machinery to tell your own cells to make virus proteins so that they can be presented to the immune system in your body. Your immune system then produces antibodies against those proteins, which can detect and destroy similar viral proteins, called antigens, they encounter in the future. It's possible we can do this for mRNA of HIV proteins.
"It's like trying to find the Achilles heel of the HIV virus "
CTN Co-Lead of the Vaccines and Immunotherapies Core, Dr. Mario Ostrowski, is an expert on where the HIV virus disarms the immune system. His ultimate goal is to find a cure for the virus. He says that one of the main reasons modern vaccine technologies haven't worked for HIV is because of the virus's unique variability.
"HIV is a very diverse virus. Because it mutates so quickly, every person living with HIV has a virus that is unique to them. Its genetic code is constantly changing," he said.
HIV mutates thousands of times faster than the COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2. "With a mutation rate so high, we have to think of really new ideas," said Dr. Ostrowski. "A lot of work is going on to understand how to make a general antibody against HIV so that it can recognize any strain of HIV, regardless of how much it has mutated. This is currently a huge barrier in developing a vaccine against HIV."
Because the immune system detects antigens that are on the surface of unwelcome particles, the spike proteins that stick out of viruses are their common target. "HIV has similar spike proteins to SARS-CoV-2, but the mutations of these spike proteins for HIV are even more variable," explained Dr. Ostrowski. Although mutations occur randomly, because viruses are made up of fewer pieces than other living things, the chance that random mutations affect the spike proteins is high. Random changes within the spike protein can impact how viruses are recognized by the immune system, and by the vaccines designed to support the immune system.
As long as the mutations don't impact their life cycle, viruses can persist while evading the immune system. Trying to develop a vaccine that covers all the variations of viruses that are present is very challenging. "For example, the Omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus had 50 mutations compared to the original strain," said Dr. Ostrowski. "Those spike protein mutations only took a few years to develop but they were effective in bypassing the preventative effects of the initial COVID-19 vaccines."
Dr. Ostrowski said that, in someone living with HIV, there may be several mutations of HIV within their body. "That's the problem with HIV, it does a good job of mutating, so the goal right now is to find an HIV spike protein target that can't mutate," he said. "It's like trying to find the Achilles heel of the virus. Once we know that our target cannot change, we can tailor specific antibodies that could be used in an mRNA vaccine."
Learning from cancer treatment
Another approach to fighting HIV could be to use mRNA technology to provide treatment tailored to each individual, as opposed to searching for a universal Achilles heel of the virus itself. This is possible because it currently only takes a few weeks to build an mRNA vaccine. Non-mRNA vaccines can take years to develop and test.
Originally, mRNA vaccine research focused on treating advanced cancer. "The beauty of this strategy is that when a person develops cancer, they can also develop an immune response to cancer," said Dr. Ostrowski. "Because everyone's cancer is unique, everyone's immune response to their cancer is unique."
Genetic technology has allowed scientists to read and understand the genetic sequence of a person's unique cancer and check to see which part could stimulate an immune response. These foreign parts of the cancer act like antigens. Once they are isolated, these antigens can then be presented to the immune system using mRNA vaccines, allowing the immune system to target the cancer. The goal for cancer-fighting mRNA vaccines is to carry the blueprint of these cancer antigens and see if they can produce a targeted immune response to that cancer. Dr. Ostrowski explains, "The vaccine would essentially enhance a patient's immune system and help them fight off the cancer. This is called cancer-immunotherapy and is a therapeutic vaccine as opposed to a preventative vaccine, which is what the COVID-19 vaccine was designed to do."
Theoretically, a therapeutic mRNA vaccine to boost a person's immune system could be used as a treatment option for people living with HIV. On the other hand, a preventative mRNA vaccine for HIV would be designed specifically to impede HIV's ability to initially infect a person.
Can mRNA technology treat HIV?
The research community has interest in applying these principles for a personalized therapeutic vaccine against HIV. This is possible because mutations happening within the HIV virus slow down once a person is on antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART prevents HIV from copying itself, which significantly reduces the opportunity for new mutations to occur.
CTN Investigator Dr. Mario Ostrowski
"It would be tailored to the individual," said Dr. Ostrowski, "So one therapeutic vaccine for HIV would help one person completely eradicate the virus and the infection. It would require obtaining the genetic sequence of each person's HIV and developing a personalized mRNA vaccine for that person."
Currently, it is unknown if personalized mRNA vaccines for HIV would work at a population level, but the theoretical potential is there. If a universal Achilles heel is found, then this mRNA technology could apply to a larger population. There are people living with HIV, known as elite controllers, a sub-population of long-term non-progressors, who don't need medication to remain virally suppressed. Their ability to naturally suppress the virus is sometimes due to genetic features that support an HIV-specific immune response against the infection. The goal of personalized mRNA vaccines is to produce a similar type of strong immune response in everyone living with HIV, not just those who are long-term non-progressive.
"I think mRNA technologies are going to be useful," said Dr. Ostrowski. "Whether they are going to be completely successful is really still unclear, especially in preventing HIV. They might be more useful in immunotherapy in people who are already living with HIV to see if we can further stimulate their immune systems to get rid of persistent HIV variants."
Dr. Ostrowski's laboratory is currently doing feasibility studies to test whether it is possible to bring mRNA technology to people living with HIV to help them eradicate and control their virus using their own immune systems.
Alison Muller
Dr. Alison Müller joined the CTN in October 2021. While completing a PhD in Physiology (University of Alberta) and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in digital health communications (UBC), she pursued various opportunities to share exciting discoveries in medical research with the public. When she's not helping our research reach a larger audience, she's involved in other science communication ventures, including writing her biotech blog.
Interested in reading more? View related stories, events, and other content here.
Guest blog: Dr. Oscar Javier Pico Espinosa
CTN Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Oscar Javier Pico Espinosa shares his journey to becoming a researcher in the HIV prevention field
Everyone ages differently: Cardiovascular disease and HIV
The CTN's HIV and Aging Cohort Study aims to understand how HIV can affect the development of heart disease, and what can be done to address it
Implementation Science & Innovations in HIV Care 2022
This year's program will discuss the strategies needed for the successful translation of research into clinical practice
CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network
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Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
Phone: 604-806-8327 Toll Free: 1-800-661-4664 ctninfo@hivnet.ubc.ca
About the CTN
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© 2023 CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network. All Rights Reserved.
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text:
The goal of Cityscape is to bring high-quality original research on housing and community development issues to scholars, government officials, and practitioners. Cityscape is open to all relevant disciplines, including architecture, consumer research, demography, economics, engineering, ethnography, finance, geography, law, planning, political science, public policy, regional science, sociology, statistics, and urban studies.
Cityscape is published three times a year by the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Cityscape Home | View Past Issues
The Fair Housing Act at 50
Managing Editor: Mark D. Shroder
Associate Editor: Michelle P. Matuga
Foreign Exchange: Peas in a Pod? Comparing the U.S. and Danish Mortgage Finance Systems
Jesper Berg
Morten Baekmand Nielsen
James Vickery
The way mortgages are designed, financed, and regulated varies strikingly across countries. Although this variation reflects adaptation to international differences in social, economic, and legal conditions, it likely also stems from historical accidents and path dependence. As the United States considers further reform of its mortgage finance system, it is useful to examine what can be learned from the experiences of other countries and whether any international practices could be adapted to improve the institutional design of the U.S. mortgage market.
With that goal in mind, this article compares and contrasts the U.S. system with that of Denmark. The Danish mortgage finance system is a salient reference point because, in several respects, it is the international model most similar to the U.S. system. In particular, Denmark relies very heavily on capital markets for funding residential mortgages, transferring interest rate risk and prepayment risk to fixed-income investors in a way that is similar to U.S. mortgage securitization. Unlike the U.S. system, however, the Danish mortgage finance system remained stable and solvent during the 2007-09 financial crisis and did not require government funding or capital injections, despite experiencing a fall in home prices of similar magnitude to that in the United States during this period.
Periodicals:


Today I had the opportunity to talk to and meet many of the teams from PPIEE. If you remember, students who take the postgraduate program have three choices for tracks that they would take: In-company internship, start-up project or team project. I met the members of 4 of the teams and talked to them about their projects.
While each team had different goals and formats, I was able to find a trend between a few. Firstly, every project valued teamwork and getting real work exposure. There was a trend of students who felt like they lacked something in their bachelor program that this program fulfilled. Since the bachelor program is so textbook and exam focused and doesn't leave time for students to take internships, the graduates don't feel prepared to go into the business world, so they use this program to get hands-on experience and apply what they have learned. A few students also mentioned the networking opportunities that this program created, because some of the team members end up working for the partners of their project after graduating. Personal skills are a trend of why students are taking the course. It is important to them to get to know the business world better and have the opportunity to make mistakes and try things before being in a job environment. The project itself gives the students more room to play. It also gives the students more experiences so they have a better idea as to what they want to do for a job before they enter the workforce. The most common trend was to broaden the experiences they each had in engineering to achieve their learning and career goals.
Besides for these opportunities, the experience in each of the teams (as well as what role of the team you take up) can vary drastically. I'll now describe the four teams. The first team I met with, Qlaudit, is very focused on the management and business aspects of engineering companies. They follow trends of the lean start-up. One of their most valuable lessons was how nothing is as simple as it appears and that you always have to think about the people.
The CQS Group Racing team takes older cars and makes them ecologically efficient and sets them up for racing. Although it is a very technical project, every student takes on a managerial role and it is very design focused based on the needs of the pilot. They learned about the importance of detail-oriented work. He mentioned that in school details aren't important because homework assignments only need to be completed until they can get a decent enough grade, unlike projects for actual clients where things need to be finished down to every last detail.
The CORE team is an energy focused team where they are working on multiple different projects focusing on energy efficiency in mobility, industrial, house and society. They truly allow students to discover their interests through a wide range of projects and roles. One of the members choose the postgraduate program because they were so excited about the project, while another one wanted to get a broader picture of engineering. He felt there was so much more than what was taught in classes.
Finally, the Electric Race Car team is designing a car for racing. Of all teams, they were probably the furthest from the business aspects of the project. Their team focused on the design and of the car and the teamwork required for such a large project. They brought up some interesting points about how the courses, if not chosen correctly, could really take away from the project. Also, some of the classes are taken too late to be helpful with the project. He thought it would be more valuable if the courses as well had more teamwork and projects in them.
Each team looked at User Centered Design very differently. The CQS team could really use the design properties of UCD when working with their pilots. They now check what they are doing with the pilots, but if they knew UCD, it could be a better way to communicate and learn from them. The Qlaudit team thought UCD would be heard to teach and not sure how people would approach it. He said that after hearing the explanation he believed it is a very valuable thing to learn and it would be very important to learn how to work with the customer, but he wasn't sure how many people would actually pick to do it. The race car team didn't think they would need it, because they are creating a product and not designing it for a user. Finally, the CORE team was very excited about UCD, thought it was of number 1 importance. They said "if you don't take UCD into account, how can you cause change?" They are often looking for designers to help because they aren't taught these concepts. Since they are very focused on creating energy focused change, they would be a great match for both UCD and CSE and were very excited about UCD.
What I've learned from today is that although there is a lot of variety in the program, there are some points that could really benefit from the ideals of CSE. Specifically the UCD component that CSE teaches is lacking in PPIEE. At least from the team perspective, if a CSE UCD class is offered, I could really see some teams encouraging or requiring it to be taken. Also, it seems like students could join these teams and take a societal role, so the community service aspect is already a part of it if the students want it to be. I also believe that in the future, it could be possible to add another team project to PPIEE that is completely focused on community service. This would allow students who would do a CSE program to work in a team but still get all of the advantages of CSE. I can definitely see where the concepts of CSE would improve this program and offer a new piece of knowledge and how the integration could very much help CSE.