Simple pressure gauge for uranium hexafluoride

A sensitive detector and pressure gauge for uranium hexafluoride in high‐vacuum systems is described. Negative surface ionization of UF_6 occurs on ribbon filaments operated at temperatures too low for electron emission to be significant. The ion current measured on a cylindrical collector surrounding the filament assembly varies regularly with UF_6 pressure below 10^(−3) Torr. Different filament materials are considered, including rhenium, thoriated tungsten, and platinum. Rhenium is found to be the most satisfactory material for operation of diode emitters as a pressure gauge. Gauge constants (in A Torr^(−1)) are derived from comparing negative surface ionization currents with the response of a capacitance manometer and are shown to be independent of temperature within a reasonable operating range. The effects of exposing the rhenium filament to various gases is considered, and it is shown that brief exposure to acetylene substantially improves the operating characteristics of the gauge

Virtual Environments Support Insider Security Violations

This paper describes an investigation into how an employee using a virtual environment can circumvent any or all of the security, policies and procedures within an organization. The paper discusses the fundamental issues that organizations must address to be able to detect such an attack. Attacks of this nature may be malicious with intent to cause disruption by flooding the network or disabling specific equipment, or non-malicious by quietly gathering critical information such as user names and passwords or a colleague’s internet banking details. Identification of potential residual evidence following an attack is presented. Such evidence may be used to speculate or verify an attack incident occurrence. Additionally, the forensic extraction of any such evidence is discussed. Finally, the paper raises the possibility of a virtual machine being used as an anti-forensic tool to destroy incriminating evidence in such circumstances

Technology for Oral Assessment

With recent developments in multimedia recording, researchers have begun to investigate the use of technology in oral proficiency assessment. This article addresses the benefits and ease of using seven different multimedia tools to assess P-16 students’ oral language proficiency and compares traditional methods of in-class oral language assessment to out-of-class recordings. Additionally, the authors discuss the potential benefits of using technology to lower students’ affective filter, to provide teachers with a digital portfolio of student progress, and to increase instructional and preparation time

Establish Your Presence in the Blogosphere: A Guide to Blog Development for the Foreign Langauge Classroom

As the wave of technology progresses, the static Web page has given way to the Weblog (blog) as a medium for delivering information. The blog has moved the technology forward with its bidirectional communication ability. This article discusses the evolution of blogs, important considerations when establishing a blog presence, and directions for creating blogs. Online examples are given to guide the reader

Virtual Environments Support Insider Security Violations

This paper describes an investigation into how an employee using a virtual environment can circumvent any or all of the security, policies and procedures within an organization. The paper discusses the fundamental issues that organizations must address to be able to detect such an attack. Attacks of this nature may be malicious with intent to cause disruption by flooding the network or disabling specific equipment, or non-malicious by quietly gathering critical information such as user names and passwords or a colleague’s internet banking details. Identification of potential residual evidence following an attack is presented. Such evidence may be used to speculate or verify an attack incident occurrence. Additionally, the forensic extraction of any such evidence is discussed. Finally, the paper raises the possibility of a virtual machine being used as an anti-forensic tool to destroy incriminating evidence in such circumstances

Assessing Student Oral Language Proficiency: Cost-Conscious Tools, Practices & Outcomes

Second language teachers have an ever increasing abundance oftechnology choices for assessment of student oral proficiency through theadaption of consumer electronics and multimedia devices. The purpose ofthis article is two-fold: (1) to address the benefits and ease of usingdifferent multimedia tools to assess students' oral language proficiencyregardless of grade level and (2) to report the findings of an orallanguage assessment study. Results from the empirical study (N = 128)show that there are manifold benefits of using technology for oralproficiency assessment for both students and instructors. Additionally, thisresearch emphasizes the importance of maximum use of the targetlanguage in the classroom and the importance of aligning assessmentrubrics to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language'sspeaking proficiency guidelines

O potencial transformador das chaves de fronteira: a investigação narrativa sobre a formação de professores e desenvolvimento profissional no contexto influenciado por NCLB

This narrative inquiry uses pedagogic discourse theory and organization theory to frame pre-service teacher education and in-service professional development initiatives in a school district facing tensions related to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Implications for similar future initiatives are considered.Esta investigación narrativa utiliza la teoría del discurso pedagógico y teoría de la organización para comprender la formación docente de pregrado y en servicio de  las iniciativas de desarrollo profesional en un distrito escolar influenciado por las tensiones relacionadas con la ley NCLB de 2001. Se consideran las implicaciones para futuras iniciativas similares.Esta pesquisa usa a teoria narrativa do discurso pedagógico e a teoria da organização para compreender a formação docente a nível de graduação e em serviço das iniciativas de desenvolvimento profissional em um distrito escolar influenciados por tensões relacionadas com NCLB 2001. O trabalho considera as implicações para iniciativas semelhantes no futuro

What Audacity! Decreasing Student Anxiety while Increasing Instructional Time

Promoting student engagement in the second language classroom can be difficult for teachers. Multiple obstacles such as perceptions of the irrelevance of authentic language applications and the affective barriers (e.g. performance anxiety speaking before peers) tend to hinder student oral language performance. For teachers, especially for beginners, other obstacles appear such as being given the most challenging assignments with little to no professional support. Many times these educators scramble to squeeze the most out of every minute in the classroom for instructional purposes while trying to increase student achievement. Three free and open source software options are presented and findings from two studies of focusing on the use of Audacity indicate multiple benefits for both teachers and students. Afterwards, the authors demonstrate how to use Audacity for oral language assessment and discuss its implications for the world language classroom