NOTE: This is an old README file. If you have the tutorial, you may want to use it to run the model. SDV 8/99 To run the leech heartbeat network simulations you must first compile a version of genesis that includes the necessary objects. The instructions for this are located in the README file in the top directory leech. The two cell, six cell, and eight cell simulations are started by typing "hn2", "hn6_4", "hn8" at the genesis prompt while in the appropriate directory. The model will initially have the default parameters that are set in the .p files (e.g. Ek, gbar of channels etc.). Default parameters can also be loaded interactively by typing "include default_param.g" or by adding this line to the main script. To start the simulation 1) Press reset button or type "reset" 2) Press the init button or type "restore start_state.bin". This restores the state variables such as the membrane potential from a binary file. It is important to set the state variables to start in the middle of a cycle. Unfortunately this may not work on all machines since the binary file created by the restore command might not be readable on a machine with a different version of Unix. In this case the simulation can also be started from an ascii file (eg. include start_state_asc.g). The user may create a new binary state variable file by typing "start_state_bin start_state". 3) Press the Run button or use the step command to run the simulation eg. "step 10 -t" (runs a simulation for 10 sec) To see graphics uncomment lines under "// make control and graphs" in the main simulation script (eg. hn2.g, hn6_4.g or hn8.g) to show graphs. The line make_scale_forms must be uncommented in order for the axis scaling to work within the graphs. Some useful files you may want of modify: output_asc_volt.g -contains the function output_asc_volt which sends the membrane potential of the cells to an ascii file. - syntax output_asc {filename} output_asc.g -contains the function output_asc which is similar to the function above but sends additional to an ascii file. - syntax output_asc {filename} save_state_bin.g -contains the function save_state_bin which saves the state variables to a binary file using the genesis command save. This file can be used to restore a simulation with the saved states by typing "restore {filename}" - syntax "save_state_bin {filename}" save_state_asc.g -contains the function save_state_asc which saves the state variables to an ascii file (eg. save_state_asc start_state_asc.g) This file can be used to restore a simulation by typing including the .g file (eg. include start_state_asc.g). This method of saving and restoring the state variables is not as accurate as the binary method because the state variables of the synchan are not saved (these are readonly or are hidden). save_param.g -contains the function save_param which saves the model parameters (e.g. Ek and gbar for each channel etc.) to an ascii file. The resulting file can be used to set the model parameters with the include command. The filename must end in .g - synatax "save_param {filename}" save_table_asc.g -contains two functions "save_table_X" and "save_table_XY" which can be used to save tab chan parameters to an ascii file for viewing. The first function if for channels with just an activation variable. minf =X_A/X_B tau = 1/X_B Notes: The HN3 and HN4 cells are identical in terms of the maximal conductances in the default configuration. The gbar of the Na current is slightly higher in HN 1 cells than in HN 2 cells. This was necessary so that the cells would spike at slightly different times. There are also scripts which were taken from the squid tutorial for voltage clamping. These are not yet in a user friendly form.