Abstract: The present inventors succeeded in culturing thick three-dimensional muscle tissue in which the muscle fibers are oriented in the same direction by providing channels for transporting a culture medium inside a hydrogel containing skeletal myoblasts. The three-dimensional muscle tissue produced according to the invention is expected to have a steak-like texture. Additionally, in regenerative medicine applications, damage in extensive and thick muscle tissue is expected to be healed with a single treatment by using thick three-dimensional muscle tissue.

Abstract: An image recorder having a paper bundling device which bundles a stack of recording sheets sequentially driven out of a body of the recorder by using a strip. The recording operation of the image recorder is interrupted when recording sheets are left on a tray included in the bundling device, when the strip is short, or when a fault occurs in the strip.

Abstract: A sheet feeding system of a frictional sheet separation type including a feed roller rotating in a sheet feeding direction, and a separation roller maintained in pressing contact with the feed roller with a path of travel of a sheet therebetween and having applied to it a predetermined torque oriented in a direction opposite the sheet feeding direction. The system further includes a separation roller shaft supporting the separation roller at one end thereof and pivotable at the other end thereof for pivotal movement in a plane including its own axis and the axis of the feed roller, a pivot for biasing the separation roller shaft toward the feed roller, and a slide for guiding the separation roller shaft in such a manner that it rotates in a plane including its own axis and the axis of the feed roller.

Abstract: A process for producing decorative articles having patterns of surface concavities and convexities (unevennesses) comprises the steps of:(1) placing into mutual contact and laminating a hardenable decorative material layer and an expansion-contraction deformable sheet provided with regions susceptible to expansion-contraction deformation and regions not susceptible to said deformation;(2) causing the deformable sheet to undergo said deformation under pressure thereby to impart a pattern of unevennesses to the decorative material layer in contact with the sheet; and(3) causing the hardenable decorative material layer to fully harden.The sheet deformed under pressure imparts a unique pattern of surface unevennesses corresponding to the two kinds of regions to the decorative material layer. Decorative articles thus obtained can be applied to a wide variety of uses as materials for decorating architectural exteriors and interiors and as decorative boards.