The (137)Cs accumulation by forest-derived products in the Gomel region.

This paper reports basic features of the (137)Cs uptake by forest-derived products in the Gomel region. Even with the soil contamination density of 37 kBq m(-2) the radionuclide contents in 20-30% of mushrooms and berries were found to be higher than the admissible levels. The (137)Cs contamination density of soil, site type and meteorological parameters were observed as the major factors which govern the radiocaesium uptake by mushrooms and berries. The (137)Cs contents in forest-derived products were found to increase directly with the soil contamination density. Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) growing on different site types differed significantly in the (137)Cs content. It was also determined that statistically significant differences in the (137)Cs radioactivity of forest foods growing on different natural sites were governed by the factor designated in the current study by "territorial". The differences are to be accounted for both by forms of the Chernobyl fallout and by the natural and climatic conditions determining variations in the availability of radionuclides in the soil. In dry years the (137)Cs concentrations in some mushroom species were higher than in normal years.

A hemicord locomotor network of excitatory interneurons: a simulation study.

Locomotor burst generation is simulated using a full-scale network model of the unilateral excitatory interneuronal population. Earlier small-scale models predicted that a population of excitatory neurons would be sufficient to produce burst activity, and this has recently been experimentally confirmed. Here we simulate the hemicord activity induced under various experimental conditions, including pharmacological activation by NMDA and AMPA as well as electrical stimulation. The model network comprises a realistic number of cells and synaptic connectivity patterns. Using similar distributions of cellular and synaptic parameters, as have been estimated experimentally, a large variation in dynamic characteristics like firing rates, burst, and cycle durations were seen in single cells. On the network level an overall rhythm was generated because the synaptic interactions cause partial synchronization within the population. This network rhythm not only emerged despite the distributed cellular parameters but relied on this variability, in particular, in reproducing variations of the activity during the cycle and showing recruitment in interneuronal populations. A slow rhythm (0.4-2 Hz) can be induced by tonic activation of NMDA-sensitive channels, which are voltage dependent and generate depolarizing plateaus. The rhythm emerges through a synchronization of bursts of the individual neurons. A fast rhythm (4-12 Hz), induced by AMPA, relies on spike synchronization within the population, and each burst is composed of single spikes produced by different neurons. The dynamic range of the fast rhythm is limited by the ability of the network to synchronize oscillations and depends on the strength of synaptic connections and the duration of the slow after hyperpolarization. The model network also produces prolonged bouts of rhythmic activity in response to brief electrical activations, as seen experimentally. The mutual excitation can sustain long-lasting activity for a realistic set of synaptic parameters. The bout duration depends on the strength of excitatory synaptic connections, the level of persistent depolarization, and the influx of Ca(2+) ions and activation of Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) current.

Modeling postural control in the lamprey.

A phenomenological model of the mechanism of stabilization of the body orientation during locomotion (dorsal side up) in the lamprey is presented. The mathematical modeling is based on experimental results obtained during investigations of postural control in lampreys using a combined in vivo and robotics approach. The dynamics of the model agree qualitatively with the experimental data. It is shown by computer simulations that postural correction commands from reticulospinal neurons provide information sufficient to stabilize body orientation in the lamprey. The model is based on differences between the effects exerted by the vestibular apparatus on the left and the right side.