Above Threshold Dissociation of Vibrationally Cold HD+ Molecules

The experimental study of molecular dissociation of H2+ by intense laser pulses is complicated by the fact that the ions are initially produced in a wide range of vibrational states, each of which responds differently to the laser field. An electrostatic storage device has been used to radiatively cool HD+ ions enabling the observation of above threshold dissociation from the ground vibrational state by 40 fs laser pulses at 800 nm. At the highest intensities used, dissociation through the absorption of at least four photons is found to be the dominant process.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) and related molecules in type 2 diabetes

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) is a widely distributed physiological enzyme that can be found solubilized in blood, or membrane-anchored in tissues. DPP IV and related dipeptidase enzymes cleave a wide range of physiological peptides and have been associated with several disease processes including Crohn's disease, chronic liver disease, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, eating disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and of direct relevance to this review, type 2 diabetes. Here, we place particular emphasis on two peptide substrates of DPP IV with insulin-releasing and antidiabetic actions namely, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). The rationale for inhibiting DPP IV activity in type 2 diabetes is that it decreases peptide cleavage and thereby enhances endogenous incretin hormone activity. A multitude of novel DPP IV inhibitor compounds have now been developed and tested. Here we examine the information available on DPP IV and related enzymes, review recent preclinical and clinical data for DPP IV inhibitors, and assess their clinical significance.

The role of H2D+ in the deuteration of interstellar molecules

Collisions between H-3(+) and HD in molecular clouds lead to the fractionation of deuterium in H2D+ at temperatures below 20 K. In this article, we describe the chemistry of H2D+ and discuss how variations in temperature and elemental abundances affect the level of fractionation in H2D+ and other species. We describe how accretion of gas-phase molecules on to cold dust grains enhances the deuteration in several molecules including doubly deuterated molecules. Mie show that the ion-neutral drift velocities attained in slow Alfven waves can destroy H2D+ in non-thermal reactions. As a result, the degree of fractionation can be reduced and we discuss observational consequences of such a model for the dark dust cloud TMC-1.