Hideki Kachi

Novel climbing method of pruning robot

A novel climbing method of pruning robots is presented. The climbing method is similar to climbing approach of timberjacks in Japan. Main features include the optimal position of center of mass of the pruning robot that is located outside of tree and the innovative vertical climbing approach. Four active wheels are set at regular intervals around the tree, which one pair for upper side and the other for lower side. Each active wheel is driven by a DC servomotor through a worm gear that has no back drivability. This novel design brings both lightweight and high climbing speed features of the pruning robot. A basic theory of mechanism design for avoiding falling down from a tree and experimental results of climbing up for validating the theorem are presented.

A survey of acute toxicity of cycads and mortality rate from cancer in the Miyako islands,Okinawa

In 1959, the Miyako islands, Okinawa were continually attacked by typhoons and the natives who had lost their agricultural products subsisted largely on cycads. Since cycad compounds have a carcinogenic effect in a variety of laboratory animals, it is possible that they could become carcinogenic agents after ingestion in humans. The present authors attempted a statistical survey of the mortality from cancer during the years 1961 through 1966 to follow‐up the tumor incidence among these natives. Mortality from stomach cancer in the Miyako islands was lower than in interior Japan. Although there was no significant difference in death rate for hepatoma between the two, it was higher in TJeno and Irabu district. The death rate for liver cirrhosis in the Miyako islands was higher than that in interior Japan, especially it was most prominent in Tarama district. These statistical results in each district was not proportional to the rate of ingestion of cycad material during the time of famine. However, most natives in these islands have long used this plant as a food before and during World War II. High death rate for liver cirrhosis in the Miyako islands may have some correlation to such a habit of the natives. Symptoms of an acute toxicity of cycad in humans were also studied on 18 patients. ACTA PATH. JAP. 20: 327 ‐ 337, 1970.

Sarcomatous hepatocellular carcinoma with malignant ascites : A report of two cases

BACKGROUND Although some cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are known to possess a sarcomatous appearance, their cytologic characteristics in ascites have not been reported. CASES Two Japanese males, aged 67 and 60 were admitted to the Gifu Municipal Hospital because of liver tumors. In the first case, although transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed, ascites with neoplastic cells continued to enlarge, and the patient died of liver failure. In the second case, although TAE, percutaneous ethanol injection therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy were performed, the patient died of tumor progression: expansion of the hepatic tumor, metastases to distal organs and increasing malignant ascites. Neoplastic cells in the ascites of both cases had nuclei that were shaped irregularly or were vesicular and contained conspicuous nucleoli. A number of multinucleated giant cells were also seen. Immunocytochemically, numerous neoplastic cells were positive for alpha-fetoprotein. These findings suggested sarcomatous HCC. Also, histologic findings of the liver tumors at autopsy showed the appearance of sarcomatous HCC. CONCLUSION In both cases presented, HCC cells with sarcomatous change were observed in ascites. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the cytologic diagnosis of sarcomatous HCC in ascites.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MUTUAL ADHESIVENESS OF CELLS IN THE HISTOLOGICAL PATTERN OF CANCER TISSUES

Utilizing trypsin and alkaline degradation methods the separation test of hepatoma islands was performed to evaluate mutual adhesiveness of ratascites hepatomas. The calcium contents of tumor cells were also studied by means of chemical analysis and microincineration method. Calcium contents were estimated in human cancer tissues and invasive omental tumors of ascites hepatomas by the microincineration method. It was found that intercellular adhesiveness was extremely important in determining the histologial architecture of the tumor and that it could be evaluated from their calcium contents. In addition, motility and permeability of tumor cells were studied, as they are possibly factors closely related with calcium contents or intercellular adhesiveness. The interrelationship between histological pattern and invasive growth, metastatic spread and drug susceptibility of tumor was also discussed.

An autopsy case of cor uniloculare biatriatum with a rudimentary chamber.

A 23-year old male who complained of palpitation, tinnitus and headache following light exercise and also of clubbed fingers and cyanosis of lips in his younger days, though he had been a soccer player. Since the age of 19, he has had hemoptysis frequently and later swelling of his body, especially, legs, but this vanished by temporary therapy each time. When admitted to the hospital in June, 1958, he was diagnosed as suffering from Eisenmenger’s complex by angiocardiography. The pulse rate was 70, irregular, and the blood pressure was 136/108 mmHg. The thorax of the heart was bent slightly and the apex beat was heard over the left side, 1.0 cm. distant from the midline of the left clavicle and the 5th left intercostal space. The upper border of the cardiac dullness was on the fourth rib and the right was at the right margin of the sternum and the left was apts to the apex beat of the heart. The first cardiac sound of each valve was heard obscurely and the pulmonary pulse was exasperation. The liver and spleen were palpable about 2.0cm. below the costal margin and slightly tender. Ascites was not found. The laboratory findings were as follows ; red blood cell count 8,850,000, hemoglobin content 170%, color index 0.96, reticulocyte count blood platelet 170,000, leucocytes 8,000, and no juvenile cells. The bone marrow puncture showed the following ; proerythroblasts 6.0%, macroblasts 27.2%, normoblasts 61.8%, total 95.0%, myeloblasts 3.476, neutrophiles 70.0%, eosinophiles 1.8%, lymphocytes 21.6%, monocytes 3.2%, megakaryocytes 0.276, reticuloendothelium 1.276, plasma cells 2.076, with marked increase of erythroblasts, especially, normoblasts, and erythroblasts show marked polychromasia. Angiocardiography showed the arcus aortae to be situated near the right The abdominal wall veins were not dilated.