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We have conducted extraction of three-dimensional blood vessel structure by spatial extension of ultrasonic 3D images (volumes) aiming to develop ultrasound therapy. However, since acquisition of the image depended on the sense of the operator, improvement of the interface was required. In addition, verification of the effectiveness of the method has not been done in human blood vessels, including deformation of blood vessels by posture andbreathing. Therefore, we propose a three-dimensional extension methodof the bloodvessel network by connecting multiple ultrasoundvolumes acquiredfrom different directions. The information of the threedimensional structure of bloodvessel extractedfrom the B-mode image andDoppler signal was convertedinto a tree structure graph containing information of the centerline andthe bifurcation points. Then we developedan interface by obtaining position andposture information of the probe measuredusing position measuring tracker attachedto the probe, calculatedthe homogeneous transformation matrix, andd isplayedmultiple volumes acquired at different timings in the same coordinate system. Furthermore, by performing spatial registration, common bifurcation points were extractedfrom multiple tree structure graphs to extendthe bloodvessel network spatially. Using the liver bloodvessels in healthy persons, we succeededto obtain a wide area of vascular networks reaching the right andleft lobes. Furthermore, we confirmedthat the bloodvessel network structure was preservedd uring changes of posture andrespiratory state, andvalid atedthe effectiveness of our threedimensional extension method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of six sweeteners such as saccharin sodium (Sa)， acesulfame potassium (AK)，aspartame (APM)，dulcin (Du)，sucralose (SCR) and cyclamic acid (CY) in foods using liquid chromatograph coupled with photo diode array and single mass spectrometric detectors (LC-PDA-MS). This method was based on our previous study concerning determination of Sa，AK，APM，Du in foods using rapid dialysis technique for 1 hour. In this study， the previous condition was also applied to SCR and CY. After the dialysis clean-up，the six sweeteners were separated on a phenyl type HPLC column, and were detected by PDA for Sa，AK and Du，and by MS for SCR，CY and APM. Owing to the effective clean-up and measurement system described above，SCR and CY were successfully determined without any additional treatment such as solid phase extraction for SCR and derivatization for CY those had been required in some conventional method. The analytical time of this method was about a half day for one sample. The recovery test of various foods after spiking six sweeteners at 0.02 g/kg (CY: 0.01 g/kg) were 92.5 to 108.8% and the relative standard deviation ranged from 0.1 to 4.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovery of cyclamate(CY) by the Notified method from certain food sample was found extremely low. In the Notified method, CY was extracted, derivatized and measured with LC-UV. LC-MS/MS measurement of the underivartized extract revealed that CY was satisfactory extracted from these food samples. The low recovery was elucidated to be due to the co-extracted food component, which may have reacted with the derivartizing reagent competitively with CY. Dialysis extracted, increase of the derivatizing reagent volume, and decreasing sample amount for derivatization have dramatically improved recovery of the CY from these samples. Recovery rate of cyclamate(CY) was compared and evaluated between two pretreatment methods: the method using solvent extraction and dialysis method. It was measured by HPLC after derivatizing CY to N,N-dichlorocyclohexylamine. The result of comparative study, CY in dried wasabi powder and reishi extract powder were satisfactory recovered by dialysis method, but were not entirely recovered by solvent extraction method. The case of pine bark extract powder and chinese tea leaf, CY was scarcely recovered with both methods. The elucidation of reason for difference in recovery between the two methods, was attempted using the above mentioned samples. The result of investigation, it was discovered that the recoveries of all samples increased with increasing concentration of hypochlorous acid in the reaction system. The information indicated that the organic matter involved in sample solutions after pretreatment consumed hypochlorous acid prior to CY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]