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This packet is designed to help teachers maximize a zoo visit for children ages 5 to 7. The packet provides activities for use before, during, and after the zoo visit. Activities are provided to enhance student skills in language arts, reading, art, science, and math, and are correlated to the Oregon Essentials Learning Skills Common Curriculum Goals which can be found in an appendix to the guide. The packet is divided into seven units, each corresponding to a different exhibit area in the zoo. Each unit includes background information, goals and objectives, instructions for activities, teacher reproducible student handouts, and volunteer chaperone pages. Units one and two introduce the concepts of camouflage and endangered species and are recommended for use as the unifying core activities of the visit. Units are divided into Pre-Field Trip, At the Zoo, and Post Field-Trip Activities. Unit themes are: (1) camouflage (big cats); (2) endangered species (bears); (3) penguins; (4) primates; (5) elephants; (6) Africa (dry riverbed theme); and (7) Alaska. (LZ)

The first concerted multi-model intercomparison of halogenated very short-lived substances (VSLS) has been performed, within the framework of the ongoing Atmospheric Tracer Transport Model Intercomparison Project (TransCom). Eleven global models or model variants participated (nine chemical transport models and two chemistry–climate models) by simulating the major natural bromine VSLS, bromoform (CHBr3) and dibromomethane (CH2Br2), over a 20-year period (1993–2012). Except for three model simulations, all others were driven offline by (or nudged to) reanalysed meteorology. The overarching goal of TransCom-VSLS was to provide a reconciled model estimate of the stratospheric source gas injection (SGI) of bromine from these gases, to constrain the current measurement-derived range, and to investigate inter-model differences due to emissions and transport processes. Models ran with standardised idealised chemistry, to isolate differences due to transport, and we investigated the sensitivity of results to a range of VSLS emission inventories. Models were tested in their ability to reproduce the observed seasonal and spatial distribution of VSLS at the surface, using measurements from NOAA's long-term global monitoring network, and in the tropical troposphere, using recent aircraft measurements – including high-altitude observations from the NASA Global Hawk platform. The models generally capture the observed seasonal cycle of surface CHBr3 and CH2Br2 well, with a strong model–measurement correlation (r ≥ 0.7) at most sites. In a given model, the absolute model–measurement agreement at the surface is highly sensitive to the choice of emissions. Large inter-model differences are apparent when using the same emission inventory, highlighting the challenges faced in evaluating such inventories at the global scale. Across the ensemble, most consistency is found within the tropics where most of the models (8 out of 11) achieve best agreement to surface CHBr3 observations usin

The first concerted multi-model intercomparison of halogenated very short-lived substances (VSLS) has been performed, within the framework of the ongoing Atmospheric Tracer Transport Model Intercomparison Project (TransCom). Eleven global models or model variants participated, simulating the major natural bromine VSLS, bromoform (CHBr3) and dibromomethane (CH2Br2), over a 20-year period (1993-2012). The overarching goal of TransCom-VSLS was to provide a reconciled model estimate of the stratospheric source gas injection (SGI) of bromine from these gases, to constrain the current measurement-derived range, and to investigate inter-model differences due to emissions and transport processes. Models ran with standardised idealised chemistry, to isolate differences due to transport, and we investigated the sensitivity of results to a range of VSLS emission inventories. Models were tested in their ability to reproduce the observed seasonal and spatial distribution of VSLS at the surface, using measurements from NOAA’s long-term global monitoring network, and in the tropical troposphere, using recent aircraft measurements - including high altitude observations from the NASA Global Hawk platform. The models generally capture the seasonal cycle of surface CHBr3 and CH2Br2 well, with a strong model measurement correlation (r ≥0.7) and a low sensitivity to the choice of emission inventory, at most sites. In a given model, the absolute model-measurement agreement is highly sensitive to the choice of emissions and inter-model differences are also apparent, even when using the same inventory, highlighting the challenges faced in evaluating such inventories at the global scale. Across the ensemble, most consistency is found within the tropics where most of the models (8 out of 11) achieve optimal agreement to surface CHBr3 observations using the lowest of the three CHBr3 emission inventories tested (similarly, 8 out of 11 models for CH2Br2). In general, the models are able to repr

This report results from a contract tasking University of Bath as follows: We propose to develop a new approach to the guiding and focusing of THz radiation aimed at applications in civil defence imaging and monitoring. Our approach uses what we call a 'metawire', a cylindrical wire decorated with a regular array of grooves. Borrowing on concepts from the engineering of planar metamaterials, such a wire can guide THz radiation with strong confinement in the form of electromagnetic surface modes. In addition, focusing to volumes far below the diffraction limit into the micron and possibly sub-micron level is possible in tapered structures. We have so far conducted proof-of-principle electromagnetic simulations showing the feasibility of this concept, and now want to move to the real-world development of this technology, leading to compact devices for THz probing in confined spaces. Additionally, we want to make a push into active THz near-field probing by designing near-field probes with integrated receivers pumped by hollow-core photonic crystal fibres, to enable flexibility in THz device characterization. Applications of a THz metawire in the civil defence sector are likely to include: a) highly integrated THz guiding and routing structures allowing easy interfacing to sources/detectors b) sensitive THz sensors for explosives, civil defence agents, etc. c) the development of a new THz imaging technology offering possibly sub-micron scale resolution., Prepared in cooperation with Imperial College, London, United Kingdom. The original document contains color images.