Lifestyle, Inflammation, and Vascular Calcification in Kidney Transplant Recipients:Perspectives on Long-Term Outcomes

After decades of pioneering, kidney transplantation is now established as preferred treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. Yet, there is still need for optimizing long-term health state and downturn the burden of graft failure of kidney transplant recipients (KTR). In this thesis we describe our studies on potentially modifiable risk factors for graft failure and premature death, in the field of lifestyle, diet and exposure to toxic contaminants, which are underexplored areas in kidney transplantation. This approach unfolded potentially cost-effective risk management opportunities for outpatient KTR. Dietary interventional strategies based on individualized recommendations to increase fruit, vegetable, and fish intake in KTR may substantially alleviate the burden of premature death among outpatient KTR. Further investigation of the potential impact of policy measures and clinical guidance to decrease the exposure to cadmium and other toxic environmental contaminants is also warranted to decrease the burden of graft failure and function decline. The second part of this thesis supports the notion that non-traditional risk factors, such as chronic low-grade inflammation, persistent redox imbalance, and deregulated mineral and bone metabolism, may at least partly explain the excess risk of vascular disease in outpatient KTR. Further research on these non-traditional risk factors is also warranted as it may pave the way towards decreasing the long-standing burden of graft failure and premature death post-kidney transplantation

Gamma-rays from Heavy Minimal Dark Matter

We consider the annihilation into gamma rays of Minimal Dark Matter candidates in the fermionic 5-plet and scalar 7-plet representations of $SU(2)_L$, taking into account both the Sommerfeld effect and the internal bremsstrahlung. Assuming the Einasto profile, we show that present measurements of the Galactic Center by the H.E.S.S. instrument exclude the 5-plet and 7-plet as the dominant form of dark matter for masses between 1 TeV and 20 TeV, in particular, the 5-plet mass leading to the observed dark matter density via thermal freeze-out. We also discuss prospects for the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array, which will be able to probe even heavier dark matter masses, including the scenario where the scalar 7-plet is thermally produced.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures. Matches the version accepted for publication by JCA

The Parkes multibeam pulsar survey: IV. Discovery of 180 pulsars and parameters for 281 previously known pulsars

The Parkes multibeam pulsar survey has led to the discovery of more than 700 pulsars. In this paper, we provide timing solutions, flux densities and pulse profiles for 180 of these new discoveries. Two pulsars, PSRs J1736-2843 and J1847-0130 have rotational periods P > 6s and are therefore among the slowest rotating radio pulsars known. Conversely, with P = 1.8ms, PSR J1843-1113 has the third shortest period of pulsars currently known. This pulsar and PSR J1905+0400 (P = 3.8ms) are both solitary. We also provide orbital parameters for a new binary system, PSR J1420-5625, which has P = 34ms, an orbital period of 40 days and a minimum companion mass of 0.4 solar masses. The 10 degree-wide strip along the Galactic plane that was surveyed is known to contain 264 radio pulsars that were discovered prior to the multibeam pulsar survey. We have redetected almost all of these pulsars and provide new dispersion measure values and flux densities at 20cm for the redetected pulsars.Comment: 35 pages, accepted for publication in MNRAS, a high quality image of the figure on page 32 is available from http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/pulsar/images/pmsurvey_fig.p