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Purpose: Tumor vessels influence the growth and response of tumors to therapy. Imaging vascular changes in vivo using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) has shown potential to guide clinical decision making for treatment. However, quantitative MR imaging biomarkers of vascular function have not been widely adopted, partly because their relationship to structural changes in vessels remains unclear. We aimed to elucidate the relationships between vessel function and morphology in vivo.Experimental Design: Untreated preclinical tumors with different levels of vascularization were imaged sequentially using DCE-MRI and CT. Relationships between functional parameters from MR (iAUC, Ktrans, and BATfrac) and structural parameters from CT (vessel volume, radius, and tortuosity) were assessed using linear models. Tumors treated with anti-VEGFR2 antibody were then imaged to determine whether antiangiogenic therapy altered these relationships. Finally, functional–structural relationships were measured in 10 patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer.Results: Functional parameters iAUC and Ktrans primarily reflected vessel volume in untreated preclinical tumors. The relationships varied spatially and with tumor vascularity, and were altered by antiangiogenic treatment. In human liver metastases, all three structural parameters were linearly correlated with iAUC and Ktrans. For iAUC, structural parameters also modified each other's effect.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that MR imaging biomarkers of vascular function are linked to structural changes in tumor vessels and that antiangiogenic therapy can affect this link. Our work also demonstrates the feasibility of three-dimensional functional–structural validation of MR biomarkers in vivo to improve their biological interpretation and clinical utility. Clin Cancer Res; 24(19); 4694–704. ©2018 AACR.

Supplementary methods and data. Supplementary Table 1. Equations of chosen models fit using ordinary least squares regression with the best Bayesian Information Criterion for iAUC90, Ktrans, and BATfrac in untreated preclinical tumors (cohort 1). Goodness of fit for each model was assessed by two measures, residuals vs fitted and Q-Q plots, which are shown in Supplementary Figure 4. Supplementary Table 2. Evaluation of model fits for iAUC90, Ktrans, and BATfrac generated from cohort 1 applied to preclinical data from cohort 2 treated with control IgG or with anti-VEGFR2 antibody DC101. Goodness of fit for each model was assessed by two measures, residuals vs fitted and Q-Q plots, which are shown in Supplementary Figures 6-7. Supplementary Table 3. Equations of chosen linear models with best Bayesian Information Criterion for iAUC90 and Ktrans in clinical tumors. Supplementary Figure 1. Signal-to-noise ratio on DCE-MRI is affected > 5 mm away from surface coil. Supplementary Figure 2. Longitudinal, repeated imaging with CT curbs tumor growth. Supplementary Figure 3. Vascular parameters (vessel length (a), tortuosity (b), and radius (c)) correlate poorly with volume of MC38 and FaDu tumors. Supplementary Figure 4. For each MR parameter of untreated preclinical tumors of cohort 1, the chosen linear model has normal residuals, as assessed by residual vs fitted plots and Q-Q plots, demonstrating goodness of fit. Supplementary Figure 5. For each MR parameter of untreated preclinical tumors of cohort 2, the tested linear model has normal residuals, as assessed by residual vs fitted plots and Q-Q plots, demonstrating goodness of fit. Supplementary Figure 6. Goodness-of-fit, as assessed by residual vs fitted plots and by Q-Q plots, for linear models applied to DC101-treated preclinical tumors of cohort 2. The chosen linear models for iAUC and BAT have residuals that exhibit departures from normality, indicating that the treatment altered these parameters. Supplementary Figure 7. For each MR parameter of clinical tumors, the chosen linear models demonstrate normal residuals, indicating goodness-of-fit.

Background The radiosensitising effect of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor olaparib on tumours has been reported. However, its effect on normal tissues in combination with radiation has not been well studied. Herein, we investigated the therapeutic index of olaparib combined with hemithoracic radiation in a urethane-induced mouse lung cancer model. Methods To assess tolerability, A/J mice were treated with olaparib plus whole thorax radiation (13 Gy), body weight changes were monitored and normal tissue effects were assessed by histology. In anti-tumour (intervention) studies, A/J mice were injected with urethane to induce lung tumours, and were then treated with olaparib alone, left thorax radiation alone or the combination of olaparib plus left thorax radiation at 8 weeks (early intervention) or 18 weeks (late intervention) after urethane injection. Anti-tumour efficacy and normal tissue effects were assessed by visual inspection, magnetic resonance imaging and histology. Results Enhanced body weight loss and oesophageal toxicity were observed when olaparib was combined with whole thorax but not hemithorax radiation. In both the early and late intervention studies, olaparib increased the anti-tumour effects of hemithoracic irradiation without increasing lung toxicity. Conclusions The addition of olaparib increased the therapeutic index of hemithoracic radiation in a mouse model of lung cancer.

Prospective cardiac gating during MRI is hampered by electromagnetic induction from the rapidly switched imaging gradients into the ECG detection circuit. This is particularly challenging in small animal MRI, as higher heart rates combined with a smaller myocardial mass render routine ECG detection challenging. We have developed an open-hardware system that enables continuously running MRI scans to be performed in conjunction with cardio-respiratory gating such that the relaxation-weighted steady state magnetisation is maintained throughout the scan. This requires that the R-wave must be detected reliably even in the presence of rapidly switching gradients, and that data previously acquired that were corrupted by respiratory motion re-acquired. The accurately maintained steady-state magnetisation leads to an improvement in image quality and removes alterations in intensity that may otherwise occur throughout the cardiac cycle and impact upon automated image analysis. We describe the hardware required to enable this and demonstrate its application and robust performance using prospectively cardio-respiratory gated CINE imaging that is operated at a single, constant TR. Schematics, technical drawings, component listing and assembly instructions are made publicly available.

Purpose: High resolution multi-gradient echo (MGE) scanning is typically used for detection of molecularly targeted iron oxide particles. The images of individual echoes are often combined to generate a composite image with improved SNR from the early echoes and boosted contrast from later echoes. In 3D implementations prolonged scanning at high gradient duty cycles induces a B0 shift that predominantly affects image alignment in the slow phase encoding dimension of 3D MGE images. The effect corrupts the composite echo image and limits the image resolution that is realised. A real-time adaptive B0 stabilisation during respiration gated 3D MGE scanning is shown to reduce image misalignment and improve detection of molecularly targeted iron oxide particles in composite images of the mouse brain. Methods: An optional B0 measurement block consisting of a 16 μs hard pulse with FA 1°, an acquisition delay of 3.2 ms, followed by gradient spoiling in all three axes was added to a respiration gated 3D MGE scan. During the acquisition delay of each B0 measurement block the NMR signal was routed to a custom built B0 stabilisation unit which mixed the signal to an audio frequency nominally centred around 1000 Hz to enable an Arduino based single channel receiver to measure frequency shifts. The frequency shift was used to effect correction to the main magnetic field via the B0 coil. The efficacy of B0 stabilisation and respiration gating was validated in vivo and used to improve detection of molecularly targeted microparticles of iron oxide (MPIO) in a mouse model of acute neuroinflammation. Results: Without B0 stabilisation 3D MGE image data exhibit varying mixtures of translation, scaling and blurring, which compromise the fidelity of the composite image. The real-time adaptive B0 stabilisation minimises corruption of the composite image as the images from the different echoes are properly aligned. The improved detection of molecularly targeted MPIO easily compensates for the scan time penalty of 14% incurred by the B0 stabilisation method employed. Respiration gating of the B0 measurement and the MRI scan was required to preserve high resolution detail, especially towards the back of the brain. Conclusions: High resolution imaging for the detection of molecularly targeted iron oxide particles in the mouse brain requires good stabilisation of the main B0 field, and can benefit from a respiration gated image acquisition strategy.

Commercial mouse chow is designed to provide a complete, nutrient-rich diet, and it can contain upwards of 100 mg/kg manganese, an essential mineral. Manganese acts as a relaxation time-shortening contrast agent for both T1and T2, and where standard chow is hydrated in the gastrointestinal tract, bright signals are produced when using T1-weighted imaging (T1WI). As a result of peristalsis, gastrointestinal hyperintensities result in temporally unstable signals, leading to image ghosting and decreased resolution from that prescribed. To avoid the problem, various methods of gastrointestinal tract modulation, including the use of intestinal cleansing with laxatives and dietary modulation, have been reported. Here, dietary modulation has been extended to the use of a biologically innocuous, long-term change of diet. In this study, we report on the use of a commercially available manganese-free chow to improve the image quality of the gastrointestinal tract. This manganese-free chow, apart from the omitted manganese which is available in tap water, is a complete diet and readily available. We investigated the time-dependent, diet-related gastrointestinal intensities on short-TR T1WI magnetic resonance imaging; monitored body mass, food and water consumption and standard blood biochemistry analysis following diet change; and determined manganese concentration in blood plasma following a five-day change to manganese-free chow. We show that the manganese-free chow presents a refinement to other gastrointestinal tract modulation, as it avoids the need for invasive procedures for gut voiding and can be provided ad libitum so that animals can be maintained with no need for prescribed diet change before imaging.

Background There is a need to improve the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) and reduce treatment side effects. Vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP) is a focal therapy for low-risk low-volume localised PCa, which rapidly disrupts targeted tumour vessels. There is interest in expanding the use of VTP to higher-risk disease. Tumour vasculature is characterised by vessel immaturity, increased permeability, aberrant branching and inefficient flow. FRT alters the tumour microenvironment and promotes transient ‘vascular normalisation’. We hypothesised that multimodality therapy combining fractionated radiotherapy (FRT) and VTP could improve PCa tumour control compared against monotherapy with FRT or VTP. Methods We investigated whether sequential delivery of FRT followed by VTP 7 days later improves flank TRAMP-C1 PCa tumour allograft control compared to monotherapy with FRT or VTP. Results FRT induced ‘vascular normalisation’ changes in PCa flank tumour allografts, improving vascular function as demonstrated using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. FRT followed by VTP significantly delayed tumour growth in flank PCa allograft pre-clinical models, compared with monotherapy with FRT or VTP, and improved overall survival. Conclusion Combining FRT and VTP may be a promising multimodal approach in PCa therapy. This provides proof-of-concept for this multimodality treatment to inform early phase clinical trials.

RationaleThere is an important clinical need to improve the treatment of high risk localized and locally advanced prostate cancer (PCa), and to reduce the side effects of these treatments. We hypothesized that multi-modality therapy combining radiotherapy and vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP) could PCa tumour control compared against monotherapy with each of these treatments alone. This could provide proof-of-concept to take to the clinic. VTP is a focal therapy for localized PCa, which rapidly destroys targeted tumors through vascular disruption. Tumor vasculature is characterized by vessel immaturity, increased permeability, aberrant branching and inefficient flow. Fractionated radiotherapy (FRT) alters the tumor microenvironment and promotes transient vascular normalization.ObjectiveWe investigated whether sequential delivery of FRT followed by VTP 7 days later improves PCa tumor control compared to monotherapy with FRT or VTP alone.FindingsFRT induced vascular normalization changes in PCa flank tumor allografts, improving vascular function as demonstrated using dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. FRT followed by VTP significantly delayed tumor growth in flank PCa allograft pre-clinical models, compared with monotherapy with FRT or VTP alone, and improved overall survival.ConclusionTaken together, these results suggest that combining FRT and VTP could become a promising multimodal clinical strategy in PCa therapy. This provides proof-of-concept for this multi-modality therapy approach to take forward to early phase clinical trials.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) imaging with X-rays are crucial diagnostic techniques in medicine, especially in oncology for evaluating the response to treatment. Body movement causes image blurring and synchronized gating to the respiratory and cardiac cycles is required. Degradation of MRI and CT imaging by the presence of metal in electronic respiratory sensors has limited their use, with a preference for pressure balloons for detecting respiration, but these are cumbersome and insensitive. Here, graphene's role is studied as an electromagnetically transparent electrode in a piezoelectric graphene respiratory sensor (GRS) device designed specifically for dual gated MRI and CT imaging of small animals. The GRS is integrated into a 3D-printed cradle with all-carbon-based device life support (heating pad) and monitoring of small animals (electrocardiogram), enabling both heartbeat and respiration detection, significant improvements to throughput and reproducibility, and reduced animal suffering. This shows graphene's potential for a wide range of electromagnetic transparent electronics for medical imaging and diagnostics, beyond conventional metal electrodes.

Tephritid fruit flies are amongst the most devastating pests of horticulture, and Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) programs have been developed for their control. Their interactions with viruses are still mostly unexplored, yet, viruses may negatively affect tephritid health and performance in SIT programs, and, conversely, constitute potential biological control agents. Here we analysed ten transcriptome libraries obtained from laboratory populations of nine tephritid species from Australia (six species of Bactrocera, and Zeugodacus cucumis), Asia (Bactrocera dorsalis) and Europe (Ceratitis capitata). We detected new viral diversity, including near-complete (>99%) and partially complete (>80%) genomes of 34 putative viruses belonging to eight RNA virus families. On average, transcriptome libraries included 3.7 viruses, ranging from 0 (Z. cucumis) to 9 (B. dorsalis). Most viruses belonged to the Picornavirales, represented by fourteen Dicistroviridae (DV), nine Iflaviridae (IV) and two picorna-like viruses. Others were a virus from Rhabdoviridae (RV), one from Xinmoviridae (both Mononegavirales), several unclassified Negev- and toti-like viruses, and one from Metaviridae (Ortervirales). Using diagnostic PCR primers for four viruses found in the transcriptome of the Bactrocera tryoni strain bent wings (BtDV1, BtDV2, BtIV1, and BtRV1), we tested nine Australian laboratory populations of five species (B. tryoni, Bactrocera neohumeralis, Bactrocera jarvisi, Bactrocera cacuminata, C. capitata), and one field population each of B. tryoni, B. cacuminata and Dirioxa pornia. Viruses were present in most laboratory and field populations yet their incidence differed for each virus. Prevalence and co-occurrence of viruses in B. tryoni and B. cacuminata were higher in laboratory than field populations. This raises concerns about the potential accumulation of viruses and their potential health effects in laboratory and mass-rearing environments which might affect flies used in research and control programs such as SIT.

Purpose To develop an MR-compatible resistive heater for temperature maintenance of anaesthetized animals. Materials and Methods An MR-compatible resistive electrical heater was formed from a tightly-wound twisted pair wire, interfaced to a homeothermic maintenance controller. Fat-suppressed images and localized spectra were acquired with the twisted pair heater and a near-identical single strand heater during operation at maximum power. Data were also acquired in the absence of heating to demonstrate the insensitivity of MR to distortions arising from the passage of current through the heater elements. The efficacy of temperature maintenance was examined by measuring rectal temperature immediately following induction of general anesthesia and throughout and after the acquisition of a heater artifact-prone image series. Results Images and spectra acquired in the presence and absence of DC current through the twisted pair heater were identical whereas the passage of current through the single strand wire created field shifts and lineshape distortions. Temperature that is lost during anesthesia induction was recovered within approximately 10–20 minutes of induction, and a stable temperature is reached as the animal's temperature approaches the set target. Conclusion The twisted pair wire heater does not interfere with MR image quality and maintains adequate thermal input to the animal to maintain body temperature.

Commercial mouse chow is designed to provide a complete, nutrient-rich diet, and it can contain upwards of 100 mg/kg manganese, an essential mineral. Manganese acts as a relaxation time-shortening contrast agent for both T1 and T2, and where standard chow is hydrated in the gastrointestinal tract, bright signals are produced when using T1-weighted imaging (T1WI). As a result of peristalsis, gastrointestinal hyperintensities result in temporally unstable signals, leading to image ghosting and decreased resolution from that prescribed. To avoid the problem, various methods of gastrointestinal tract modulation, including the use of intestinal cleansing with laxatives and dietary modulation, have been reported. Here, dietary modulation has been extended to the use of a biologically innocuous, long-term change of diet. In this study, we report on the use of a commercially available manganese-free chow to improve the image quality of the gastrointestinal tract. This manganese-free chow, apart from the omitted manganese which is available in tap water, is a complete diet and readily available. We investigated the time-dependent, diet-related gastrointestinal intensities on short-TR T1WI magnetic resonance imaging; monitored body mass, food and water consumption and standard blood biochemistry analysis following diet change; and determined manganese concentration in blood plasma following a five-day change to manganese-free chow. We show that the manganese-free chow presents a refinement to other gastrointestinal tract modulation, as it avoids the need for invasive procedures for gut voiding and can be provided ad libitum so that animals can be maintained with no need for prescribed diet change before imaging.

A magnetic resonance (MR)-, computed tomography (CT)-, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-, and positron emission tomography (PET)-compatible carbon-fiber sheet resistor for temperature maintenance in small animals where space limitations prevent the use of circulating fluids was developed. A 250 Ω carbon-fiber sheet resistor was mounted to the underside of an imaging cradle. Alternating current, operating at 99 kHz, and with a power of 1-2 W, was applied to the resistor providing a cradle base temperature of ∼37°C. Temperature control was implemented with a proportional–integral–derivative controller, and temperature maintenance was demonstrated in 4 mice positioned in both MR and PET/SPECT/CT scanners. MR and CT compatibility were also shown, and multimodal MR-CT-PET-SPECT imaging of the mouse abdomen was performed in vivo. Core temperature was maintained at 35.5°C ± 0.2°C. No line-shape, frequency, or image distortions attributable to the current flow through the heater were observed on MR. Upon CT imaging, no heater-related artifacts were observed when carbon-fiber was used. Multimodal imaging was performed and images could be easily coregistered, displayed, analyzed, and presented. Carbon fiber sheet resistors powered with high-frequency alternating current allow homeothermic maintenance that is compatible with multimodal imaging. The heater is small, and it is easy to produce and integrate into multimodal imaging cradles.

A magnetic resonance (MR)-, computed tomography (CT)-, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-, and positron emission tomography (PET)-compatible carbon-fiber sheet resistor for temperature maintenance in small animals where space limitations prevent the use of circulating fluids was developed. A 250 Ω carbon-fiber sheet resistor was mounted to the underside of an imaging cradle. Alternating current, operating at 99 kHz, and with a power of 1-2 W, was applied to the resistor providing a cradle base temperature of ∼37 °C. Temperature control was implemented with a proportional–integral–derivative controller, and temperature maintenance was demonstrated in 4 mice positioned in both MR and PET/SPECT/CT scanners. MR and CT compatibility were also shown, and multimodal MR-CT-PET-SPECT imaging of the mouse abdomen was performed in vivo. Core temperature was maintained at 35.5 °C ± 0.2 °C. No line-shape, frequency, or image distortions attributable to the current flow through the heater were observed on MR. Upon CT imaging, no heater-related artifacts were observed when carbon-fiber was used. Multimodal imaging was performed and images could be easily coregistered, displayed, analyzed, and presented. Carbon fiber sheet resistors powered with high-frequency alternating current allow homeothermic maintenance that is compatible with multimodal imaging. The heater is small, and it is easy to produce and integrate into multimodal imaging cradles.

Translocator protein (TSPO) expression is increased in activated glia, and has been used as a marker of neuroinflammation in PET imaging. However, the extent to which TSPO upregulation reflects a pro‐ or anti‐inflammatory phenotype remains unclear. Our aim was to determine whether TSPO upregulation in astrocytes and microglia/macrophages is limited to a specific inflammatory phenotype. TSPO upregulation was assessed by flow cytometry in cultured astrocytes, microglia, and macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or interleukin‐4 (Il‐4). Subsequently, mice were injected intracerebrally with either a TNF‐inducing adenovirus (AdTNF) or IL‐4. Glial expression of TSPO and pro‐/anti‐inflammatory markers was assessed by immunohistochemistry/fluorescence and flow cytometry. Finally, AdTNF or IL‐4 injected mice underwent PET imaging with injection of the TSPO radioligand 18F‐DPA‐713, followed by ex vivo autoradiography. TSPO expression was significantly increased in pro‐inflammatory microglia/macrophages and astrocytes both in vitro, and in vivo after AdTNF injection (p, Main points TSPO expression is strongly associated with pro‐ but not anti‐inflammatory microglia, macrophages and astrocytes, in vitro and in vivo.PET imaging with TSPO ligand 18F‐DPA‐713 reveals the pro‐inflammatory population of glial cells.

Purpose Multi-slice scanning in the abdomen and thorax of small animals is compromised by the effects of respiration unless imaging and respiration are synchronised. To avoid the signal modulations that result from respiration motion and a variable TR, blocks of fully relaxed slices are typically acquired during inter-breath periods, at the cost of scan efficiency. This paper reports a conceptually simple yet effective prospective gating acquisition mode for multi-slice scanning in free breathing small animals at any fixed TR of choice with reduced sensitivity to respiratory motion. Methods Multi-slice scan modes have been implemented in which each slice has its own specific projection or phase encode loop index counter. When a breath is registered RF pulses continue to be applied but data are not acquired, and the corresponding counters remain fixed so that the data are acquired one TR later, providing it coincides with an inter-breath period. The approach is refined to reacquire the slice data that are acquired immediately before each breath is detected. Only the data with reduced motion artefact are used in image reconstruction. The efficacy of the method is demonstrated in the RARE scan mode which is well known to be particularly useful for tumour visualization. Results Validation in mice with RARE demonstrates improved stability with respect to ungated scanning where signal averaging is often used to reduce artefacts. SNR enhancement maps demonstrate the improved efficiency of the proposed method that is equivalent to at least a 2.5 fold reduction in scan time with respect to ungated signal averaging. A steady-state magnetisation transfer contrast prepared gradient echo implementation is observed to highlight tumour structure. Supplementary simulations demonstrate that only small variations in respiration rate are required to enable efficient sampling with the proposed method. Conclusions The proposed prospective gating acquisition scheme enables efficient multi-slice scanning in small animals at the optimum TR with reduced sensitivity to respiratory motion. The method is compatible with a wide range of complementary methods including non-Cartesian scan modes, partially parallel imaging, and compressed sensing. In particular, the proposed scheme reduces the need for continual close monitoring to effect operator intervention in response to respiratory rate changes, which is both difficult to maintain and precludes high throughput.

Purpose: Tumor vessels influence the growth and response of tumors to therapy. Imaging vascular changes in vivo using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) has shown potential to guide clinical decision making for treatment. However, quantitative MR imaging biomarkers of vascular function have not been widely adopted, partly because their relationship to structural changes in vessels remains unclear. We aimed to elucidate the relationships between vessel function and morphology in vivo. Experimental Design: Untreated preclinical tumors with different levels of vascularization were imaged sequentially using DCE-MRI and CT. Relationships between functional parameters from MR (iAUC, Ktrans, and BATfrac) and structural parameters from CT (vessel volume, radius, and tortuosity) were assessed using linear models. Tumors treated with anti-VEGFR2 antibody were then imaged to determine whether antiangiogenic therapy altered these relationships. Finally, functional–structural relationships were measured in 10 patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Results: Functional parameters iAUC and Ktrans primarily reflected vessel volume in untreated preclinical tumors. The relationships varied spatially and with tumor vascularity, and were altered by antiangiogenic treatment. In human liver metastases, all three structural parameters were linearly correlated with iAUC and Ktrans. For iAUC, structural parameters also modified each other's effect. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that MR imaging biomarkers of vascular function are linked to structural changes in tumor vessels and that antiangiogenic therapy can affect this link. Our work also demonstrates the feasibility of three-dimensional functional–structural validation of MR biomarkers in vivo to improve their biological interpretation and clinical utility. Clin Cancer Res; 24(19); 4694–704. ©2018 AACR.

Purpose Cardiac and respiratory motion derived image artefacts are reduced when data are acquired with cardiac and respiratory synchronisation. Where steady state imaging techniques are required in small animals, synchronisation is most commonly performed using retrospective gating techniques but these invoke an inherent time penalty. This paper reports the development of prospective gating techniques for cardiac and respiratory motion desensitised MRI with significantly reduced minimum scan time compared to retrospective gating. Methods Prospective gating incorporating the automatic reacquisition of data corrupted by motion at the entry to each breath was implemented in short TR 3D spoiled gradient echo imaging. Motion sensitivity was examined over the whole mouse body for scans performed without gating, with respiratory gating, and with cardio-respiratory gating. The gating methods were performed with and without automatic reacquisition of motion corrupted data immediately after completion of the same breath. Prospective cardio-respiratory gating, with acquisition of 64 k-space lines per cardiac R-wave, was used to enable whole body DCE-MRI in the mouse. Results Prospective cardio-respiratory gating enabled high fidelity steady state imaging of physiologically mobile organs such as the heart and lung. The automatic reacquisition of data corrupted by motion at the entry to each breath minimised respiratory motion artefact and enabled a highly efficient data capture that was adaptive to changes in the inter-breath interval. Prospective cardio-respiratory gating control enabled DCE-MRI to be performed over the whole mouse body with the acquisition of successive image volumes every 12–15 s at 422 μm isotropic resolution. Conclusions Highly efficient cardio-respiratory motion desensitised steady state MRI can be performed in small animals with prospective synchronisation, centre-out phase-encode ordering, and the automatic reacquisition of data corrupted by motion at the entry to each breath. The method presented is robust against spontaneous changes in the breathing rate. Steady state imaging with prospective cardio-respiratory gating is much more efficient than with retrospective gating, and enables the examination of rapidly changing systems such as those found when using DCE-MRI.

Comparison of the genomes of different Drosophila species has shown that six different chromosomes, the so-called ''Muller elements," constitute the building blocks for all Drosophila species. Here, we confirm previous results suggesting that this conservation of the Muller elements extends far beyond Drosophila, to at least tephritid fruit flies, thought to have diverged from drosophilids 60-70 mYr ago. Less than 10 percent of genes differ in chromosome location between the two insect groups. Within chromosomes, however, the order is highly scrambled, as expected from the comparison between Drosophila species. The data also support the notion that the sex chromosomes of tephritid flies originated from an ancestor of the dot chromosome 4 of Drosophila. Overall, therefore, no new chromosome has been created for perhaps a billion generations over the two evolutionary lines. This stability at the chromosome level, which appears to extend to all Diptera including mosquitoes, is in stark contrast to other groups such as mammals, birds, fish and plants, in which chromosome numbers and organization vary enormously among species that have diverged over much fewer generations.

Three Australian tephritid fruit flies (Bactrocera tryoni - Q-fly, Bactrocera neohumeralis - NEO, and Bactrocera jarvisi - JAR) are promising models for genetic studies of pest status and invasiveness. The long history of ecological and physi- ological studies of the three species has been augmented by the development of a range of genetic and genomic tools, including the capacity for forced multigeneration crosses between the three species followed by selection experiments, a draft genome for Q-fly, and tissue- and stage-specific transcriptomes. The Q-fly and NEO species pair is of particular interest. The distribution of NEO is contained entirely within the wider distribution of Q-fly and the two species are ecologically extremely similar, with no known differences in pheromones, temperature tolerance, or host-fruit utilisation. However there are three clear differences be- tween them: humeral callus colour, complete pre-mating isolation based on mating time-of-day, and invasiveness. NEO is much less invasive, whereas in historical times Q-fly has invaded southeastern Australia and areas of Western Australia and the North- ern Territory. In southeastern fruit-growing regions, microsatellites suggest that some of these outbreaks might derive from ge- netically differentiated populations overwintering in or near the invaded area. Q-fly and NEO show very limited genome diffe- rentiation, so comparative genomic analyses and QTL mapping should be able to identify the regions of the genome controlling mating time and invasiveness, to assess the genetic bases for the invasive strains of Q-fly, and to facilitate a variety of improve- ments to current sterile insect control strategies for that species (Current Zoology 61 (3): 477-487, 2015). Keywords Bactrocera, Genomics, STERILE-insect-technique, Interspecific-hybridisation

In vivo optical imaging enables detection and quantification of light-emitting compounds from the whole body in small animals such as the mouse, but it typically requires the use of anaesthetics for subject immobilisation due to long exposure times. Excessively deep anaesthesia can result in unacceptably compromised physiology, whilst excessively light anaesthesia can result in animals waking up. Here we report a respiratory monitoring setup for an in vivo bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging device which simultaneously allows real-time adaptive control of anaesthesia depth in multiple animals to (i) potentially increase the consistency between animals, (ii) ensure animals are maintained within minimally intrusive, adequate anaesthetic plane and (iii) provide a valuable refinement strategy for a common challenge within animal-based research.

Objective: Neuroblastoma has one of the lowest survival rates of all childhood cancers, despite the use of intensive treatment regimens. Preclinical models of neuroblastoma are essential for testing new multimodality protocols, including those that involve radiotherapy (RT). The aim of this study was to develop a robust method for RT planning and tumour response monitoring based on combined MRI and cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging and to apply it to a widely studied mouse xenograft model of neuroblastoma, SK-N-SH. Methods: As part of a tumour growth inhibition study, SK-N-SH xenografts were generated in BALB/c nu/nu mice. Mice (n = 8) were placed in a printed MR- and CT-compatible plastic cradle, imaged using a 4.7-T MRI scanner and then transferred to a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) irradiator with on-board CBCT. MRI/CBCT co-registration was performed to enable RT planning using the soft-tissue contrast afforded by MRI prior to delivery of RT (5 Gy). Tumour response was assessed by serial MRI and calliper measurements. Results: SK-N-SH xenografts formed soft, deformable tumours that could not be differentiated from surrounding normal tissues using CBCT. MR images, which allowed clear delineation of tumours, were successfully co-registered with CBCT images, allowing conformal RT to be delivered. MRI measurements of tumour volume 4 days after RT correlated strongly with length of survival time. Conclusion: MRI allowed precision RT of SK-N-SH tumours and provided an accurate means of measuring tumour response. Advances in knowledge: MRI-based RT planning of murine tumours is feasible using an SARRP irradiator.

Comparison of the genomes of different Drosophila species has shown that six different chromosomes, the so-called ''Muller elements," constitute the building blocks for all Drosophila species. Here, we confirm previous results suggesting that this conservation of the Muller elements extends far beyond Drosophila, to at least tephritid fruit flies, thought to have diverged from drosophilids 60-70 mYr ago. Less than 10 percent of genes differ in chromosome location between the two insect groups. Within chromosomes, however, the order is highly scrambled, as expected from the comparison between Drosophila species. The data also support the notion that the sex chromosomes of tephritid flies originated from an ancestor of the dot chromosome 4 of Drosophila. Overall, therefore, no new chromosome has been created for perhaps a billion generations over the two evolutionary lines. This stability at the chromosome level, which appears to extend to all Diptera including mosquitoes, is in stark contrast to other groups such as mammals, birds, fish and plants, in which chromosome numbers and organization vary enormously among species that have diverged over much fewer generations.

The sympatric tephritid fruit flies Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Queensland fruit fly) and B. neohumeralis (Hardy) differ in time of mating and for the colour of the humeral callus ('shoulder pad'), which is typically entirely yellow in B. tryoni and typically entirely brown in B. neohumeralis. Field collections in sympatric regions usually include at least 1% of individuals whose humeral calli show mixed patches of yellow and brown ('intermediates'). Over 40 years, a number of studies have debated the possibility that these intermediates are interspecific hybrids. In the present study, we have used microsatellites to show that few if any of these intermediates are hybrids. Instead, most variation humeral callus appears to be confined to one species, B. tryoni. We discuss these results in the context of geneflow between the two species and suggest directions for future research.

The Queensland fruit fly (Q-fly), Bactrocera tryoni, is a serious horticultural pest throughout eastern Australia, and apart from isolated outbreaks, is absent from Adelaide and South Australia. Considerable resources are put into preventing the entry of Q-fly into South Australia and the eradication of any outbreaks. Nevertheless, some flies are still trapped in Adelaide and, because known permanent populations are too distant for unaided dispersal, these flies must arrive as larvae in infested fruit. To provide authorities with more information on the nature of and the extent of outbreaks, the authors used 26 microsatellite markers to test the relationships between outbreak flies caught in Adelaide in 2000 and 2002. Groupings between individuals were tested using both a model-based clustering method (implemented in the Structure program) and relatedness testing, using both simple exclusion tests and relatedness coefficients. While many flies appeared unrelated, one group of at least six full sibs was detected, all of which were trapped in the same month. Unexpectedly, these six flies were trapped at sites separated by distances greater than the unaided dispersal distance of Q-fly, implicating human-aided dispersal of infested fruit within Adelaide. Thus simultaneous trappings of flies separated by kilometres are not necessarily separate outbreaks as has been assumed. The implications for current outbreak control strategies are discussed.

Among Australian endemic tephritid fruit flies, the sibling species Bactrocera tryoni and Bactrocera neohumeralis have been serious horticultural pests since the introduction of horticulture in the nineteenth century. More recently, Bactrocera jarvisi has also been declared a pest in northern Australia. After several decades of genetic research there is now a range of classical and molecular genetic tools that can be used to develop improved Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) strains for control of these pests. Four-way crossing strategies have the potential to overcome the problem of inbreeding in mass-reared strains of B. tryoni. The ability to produce hybrids between B. tryoni and the other two species in the laboratory has proved useful for the development of genetically marked strains. The identification of Y-chromosome markers in B. jarvisi means that male and female embryos can be distinguished in any strain that carries a B. jarvisi Y chromosome. This has enabled the study of homologues of the sex-determination genes during development of B jarvisi and B. tryoni, which is necessary for the generation of genetic-sexing strains. Germ-line transformation has been established and a draft genome sequence for B. tryoni released. Transcriptomes from various species, tissues and developmental stages, to aid in identification of manipulation targets for improving SIT, have been assembled and are in the pipeline. Broad analyses of the microbiome have revealed a metagenome that is highly variable within and across species and defined by the environment. More specific analyses detected Wolbachia at low prevalence in the tropics but absent in temperate regions, suggesting a possible role for this endosymbiont in future control strategies.

Background Developing embryos are provided with maternal RNA transcripts and proteins, but transcription from the zygotic nuclei must be activated to control continuing embryonic development. Transcripts are generated at different stages of early development, and those involved in sex determination and cellularisation are some of the earliest to be activated. The male sex in tephritid fruit flies is determined by the presence of a Y chromosome, and it is believed that a transcript from the Y-chromosome sets in motion a cascade that determines male development, as part of the greater maternal to zygotic transition (MTZ). Here we investigate the poly(A+) transcriptome in early male and female embryos of the horticultural pest Bactrocera jarvisi (Diptera: Tephritidae). Results Bactrocera jarvisi embryos were collected over two pre-blastoderm time periods, 2-3h and 3-5h after egg laying. Embryos were individually sexed using a Y-chromosome marker, allowing the sex-specific poly(A+) transcriptome of single-sex embryo pools to be deep-sequenced and assembled de novo. Transcripts for sixteen sex-determination and two cellularisation gene homologues of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) were identified in early embryos of B. jarvisi, including transcripts highly upregulated prior to cellularisation. No strong candidates for transcripts derived solely from the Y chromosome were recovered from the poly(A+) fraction. Conclusions Bactrocera jarvisi provides an excellent model for embryonic studies due to available Y-chromosome markers and the compact time frame for zygotic transcription and the sex-determined state. Our data contribute fundamental information to sex-determination research, and provide candidates for the sourcing of gene promoters for transgenic pest-management strategies of tephritid fruit flies.

There is a substantial literature on the use of linkage disequilibrium (LD) to estimate effective population size using unlinked loci. The Ne estimates are extremely sensitive to the sampling process, and there is currently no theory to cope with the possible biases. We derive formulae for the analysis of idealised populations mating at random with multi-allelic (microsatellite) loci. The 'Burrows composite index' is introduced in a novel way with a 'composite haplotype table'. We show that in a sample of diploid size S, the mean value of x2 or r2 from the composite haplotype table is biased by a factor of 1-1/(2S-1)2, rather than the usual factor 1+1/(2S-1) for a conventional haplotype table. But analysis of population data using these formulae leads to Ne estimates that are unrealistically low. We provide theory and simulation to show that this bias towards low Ne estimates is due to null alleles, and introduce a randomised permutation correction to compensate for the bias. We also consider the effect of introducing a within-locus disequilibrium factor to r2, and find that this factor leads to a bias in the Ne estimate. However this bias can be overcome using the same randomised permutation correction, to yield an altered r2 with lower variance than the original r2, and one that is also insensitive to null alleles. The resulting formulae are used to provide Ne estimates on 40 samples of the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, from populations with widely divergent Ne expectations. Linkage relationships are known for most of the microsatellite loci in this species. We find that there is little difference in the estimated Ne values from using known unlinked loci as compared to using all loci, which is important for conservation studies where linkage relationships are unknown.

Divergence among populations can occur via additive genetic effects and/or because of epistatic interactions among genes. Here we use line-cross analysis to compare the importance of epistasis in divergence among two sympatric Drosophila species from eastern Australia, one (D. serrata) distributed continuously and the other (D. birchii) confined to rainforest habitats that are often disjunct. For D. serrata, crosses indicated that development time and wing size differences were due to additive genetic effects, while for viability there were digenic epistatic effects. Crosses comparing geographically close populations as well as those involving the most geographically distant populations (including the southern species border) revealed epistatic interactions, whereas crosses at an intermediate distance showed no epistasis. In D. birchii, there was no evidence of epistasis for viability, although for development time and wing size there was epistasis in the cross between the most geographically diverged populations. Strong epistasis has not developed among the D. birchii populations, and this habitat specialist does not show stronger epistasis than D. serrata. Given that epistasis has been detected in crosses with other species from eastern Australia, including the recently introduced D. melanogaster, the results point to epistasis not being directly linked to divergence times among populations.