Domesticating olfaction: Dog breeds, including scent hounds, have reduced cribriform plate morphology relative to wolves.

The domestic dog is assumed by nearly everyone to be the consummate smeller. Within the species Canis familiaris individual breeds, such as the bloodhound or beagle, are known as olfactory stars. These are "scent breeds," a grouping variably defined as a genetic clade or breed class commonly used for scent detection tasks.

Measurement of shock wave rise times in metal thin films.

We have measured the rise time of laser-generated shock waves in vapor plated metal thin films using frequency-domain interferometry with subpicosecond time resolution. 10%- 90% rise times of <6.25 ps were found in targets ranging from 0.

Generation of "bastard" molecular ions from van der Waals clusters: Ar(n)(C(2)Cl(4))(m) ions, suspected interlopers in collection of solar neutrinos.

Gaseous molecular ions containing argon and perchlorethylene, Ar(n)(C(2)Cl(4))(m) (+) in which n >/= 1-29 and m >/= 1-4, are produced by electron bombardment of van der Waals clusters formed by expanding an Ar/C(2)Cl(4) mixture through a supersonic nozzle. Previous attempts to observe such ions in a high-pressure mass spectrometer were not successful, as with many other ("bastard") ions that similarly lack a stable chemically bound neutral parent molecule. This is probably due to dissociation induced by the large exoergicity from charge transfer between species that differ greatly in ionization potential.