Optimal durations of single exposures to a frequency-modulated magnetic field immediately after bisection in planarian predict final growth values.

Planarian (Dugesia tigrinia) were exposed to a frequency-modulated ("Thomas"), patterned electromagnetic field (EMF) immediately following transection through the pharynx. Subjects were exposed from 15 min to 3 h as well as single versus repeated exposures. Results from multiple experiments indicated that those planaria exposed from 45 to 90 min regenerated at significantly higher rates than those exposed less than 45 min. In addition, the study revealed that exposures greater than 45 min were not significantly different beyond this inflection point. We suggest that this particular pattern of EMF is capable of inducing biochemical pathways associated with cell proliferation, in particular the p38-MAPK and hsp70 pathways.

Bacterial biophotons as non-local information carriers: Species-specific spectral characteristics of a stress response.

Studies by Alexander Gurwitsch in the 1920' s with onion root cells revealed the phenomenon of mitogenetic radiation. Subsequent works by Popp, Van Wijk, Quickenden, Tillbury, and Trushin have demonstrated a link between Gurwitsch's mitogenetic radiation and the biophoton, emissions of light correlated with biological processes. The present study seeks to expand upon these and other works to explore whether biophoton emissions of bacterial cultures is used as an information carrier of environmental stress. Bacterial cultures (Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens) were incubated for 24 hr in 5 ml of nutrient broth to stationary phase and cell densities of ~107 cells/mL. Cultures of E. coli were placed upon a photomultiplier tube housed within a dark box. A second bacterial culture, either E. coli or S. marcescens, was placed in an identical dark box at a distance of 5 m and received injections of hydrogen peroxide. Spectral analyses revealed significant differences in peak frequencies of 7.2, 10.1, and 24.9 Hz in the amplitude modulation of the emitted biophoton signal with respect to whether a peroxide injection occurred or not, and whether the species receiving the injection was E. coli or S. marcescens. These and the subsequent results of discriminant functions suggest that bacteria may release biophotons as a non-local communication system in response to stress, and that these biophotons are species specific.

When Is the Brain Dead? Living-Like Electrophysiological Responses and Photon Emissions from Applications of Neurotransmitters in Fixed Post-Mortem Human Brains.

The structure of the post-mortem human brain can be preserved by immersing the organ within a fixative solution. Once the brain is perfused, cellular and histological features are maintained over extended periods of time. However, functions of the human brain are not assumed to be preserved beyond death and subsequent chemical fixation. Here we present a series of experiments which, together, refute this assumption. Instead, we suggest that chemical preservation of brain structure results in some retained functional capacity. Patterns similar to the living condition were elicited by chemical and electrical probes within coronal and sagittal sections of human temporal lobe structures that had been maintained in ethanol-formalin-acetic acid. This was inferred by a reliable modulation of frequency-dependent microvolt fluctuations. These weak microvolt fluctuations were enhanced by receptor-specific agonists and their precursors (i.e., nicotine, 5-HTP, and L-glutamic acid) as well as attenuated by receptor-antagonists (i.e., ketamine). Surface injections of 10 nM nicotine enhanced theta power within the right parahippocampal gyrus without any effect upon the ipsilateral hippocampus. Glutamate-induced high-frequency power densities within the left parahippocampal gyrus were correlated with increased photon counts over the surface of the tissue. Heschl's gyrus, a transverse convexity on which the primary auditory cortex is tonotopically represented, retained frequency-discrimination capacities in response to sweeps of weak (2µV) square-wave electrical pulses between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. Together, these results suggest that portions of the post-mortem human brain may retain latent capacities to respond with potential life-like and virtual properties.

Bacterial growth rates are influenced by cellular characteristics of individual species when immersed in electromagnetic fields.

Previous studies have shown that exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) have negative effects on the rate of growth of bacteria. In the present study, two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative species were exposed to six magnetic field conditions in broth cultures. Three variations of the 'Thomas' pulsed frequency-modulated pattern; a strong-static "puck" magnet upwards of 5000G in intensity; a pair of these magnets rotating opposite one another at ∼30rpm; and finally a strong dynamic magnetic field generator termed the 'Resonator' with an average intensity of 250µT were used. Growth rate was discerned by optical density (OD) measurements every hour at 600nm. ELF-EMF conditions significantly affected the rates of growth of the bacterial cultures, while the two static magnetic field conditions were not statistically significant. Most interestingly, the 'Resonator' dynamic magnetic field increased the rates of growth of three species (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli), while slowing the growth of one (Serratia marcescens). We suggest that these effects are due to individual biophysical characteristics of the bacterial species.