Why does thermomagnetic resonance affect cancer growth? A non-equilibrium thermophysical approach

Recently, the low frequency thermomagnetic effects on cancer cells have been analysed, both theoretically and experimentally. They have been explained by introducing an equilibrium thermodynamic approach. But, in this context, two related open problems have been highlighted: (1) Does there exist a magnetic interaction or do there exist any other processes? (2) Do there exist also thermal effects? Here, we introduce a non-equilibrium thermodynamic approach in order to address an answer to these questions. The results obtained point out that: (a) the effect produced by the electromagnetic wave is just a consequence of the interaction of the magnetic component of the electromagnetic wave with the biological matter; (b) the interaction of the electromagnetic wave causes also thermal effects, but related to heat transfer, even if there have been applied low frequency electromagnetic waves; (c) the presence of the magnetic field generates a symmetry breaking in the Onsager’s coefficients, with a related perturbation of the cancer stationary state

Biofuels from Micro-Organisms: Thermodynamic Considerations on the Role of Electrochemical Potential on Micro-Organisms Growth

Biofuels from micro-organisms represents a possible response to the carbon dioxide mitigation. One open problem is to improve their productivity, in terms of biofuels production. To do so, an improvement of the present model of growth and production is required. However, this implies an understanding of the growth spontaneous conditions of the bacteria. In this paper, a thermodynamic approach is developed in order to highlight the fundamental role of the electrochemical potential in bacteria proliferation. Temperature effect on the biosystem behaviour has been pointed out. The results link together the electrochemical potential, the membrane electric potential, the pH gradient through the membrane, and the temperature, with the result of improving the thermodynamic approaches, usually introduced in this topic of research

Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamic Approach to Ca2+-Fluxes in Cancer

Living systems waste heat in their environment. This is the measurable effect of the irreversibility of the biophysical and biochemical processes fundamental to their life. Non-equilibrium thermodynamics allows us to analyse the ion fluxes through the cell membrane, and to relate them to the membrane electric potential, in order to link this to the biochemical and biophysical behaviour of the living cells. This is particularly interesting in relation to cancer, because it could represent a new viewpoint, in order to develop new possible anticancer therapies, based on the thermoelectric behaviour of cancer itself. Here, we use a new approach, recently introduced in thermodynamics, in order to develop the analysis of the ion fluxes, and to point out consequences related to the membrane electric potential, from a thermodynamic viewpoint. We show how any increase in the cell temperature could generate a decrease in the membrane electric potential, with a direct relation between cancer and inflammation. Moreover, a thermal threshold, for the cell membrane electric potential gradient, has been obtained, and related to the mitotic activity. Finally,we obtained the external surface growth of the cancer results related (i) to the Ca2+-fluxes,(ii) to the temperature difference between the the system and its environment, and (iii) to the chemical potential of the ion species

Nonequilibrium Temperature: An Approach from Irreversibility

Nonequilibrium temperature is a topic of research with continuously growing interest because of recent improvements in and applications of nonequilibrium thermodynamics, with particular regard to information theory, kinetic theory, nonequilibrium molecular dynamics, superfluids, radiative systems, etc. All studies on nonequilibrium temperature have pointed out that the definition of nonequilibrium temperature must be related to different aspects of the system, to the energy of the system, and to the energy fluxes between the system and its environment. In this paper, we introduce a definition of nonequilibrium temperature based on the Gouy–Stodola and Carnot theorems in order to satisfy all these theoretical requirements. The result obtained links nonequilibrium temperature to the electromagnetic outflow, generated by irreversibility during microscopic interaction in the system; to the environmental temperature; to the mean energy; and to the geometrical and physical characteristics of the system

Thermal Physics and Glaucoma: From Thermodynamic to Biophysical Considerations to Designing Future Therapies

This paper presents a theoretical approach to glaucoma, with the aim of improving the comprehension of the biophysical bases for new possible therapies. The approach is based on a non-equilibrium thermodynamic model. The results point to the fundamental role of the membrane’s electric potential and of its relation with inflammation and ion fluxes. A new viewpoint is suggested to consider anti-inflammation and photobiomodulation as possible therapies for glaucoma

The Gouy-Stodola Theorem—From Irreversibility to Sustainability — The Thermodynamic Human Development Index

Today, very complex economic relationships exist between finance, technology, social needs, and so forth, which represent the requirement of sustainability. Sustainable consumption of resources, production and energy policies are the keys for a sustainable development. Moreover, a growing request in bio-based industrial raw materials requires a reorganization of the chains of the energy and industrial sectors. This is based on new technological choices, with the need of sustainable measurements of their impacts on the environment, society and economy. In this way, social and economic requirements must be taken into account by the decision-makers. So, sustainable policies require new indicators. These indicators must link economics, technologies and social well-being, together. In this paper, an irreversible thermodynamic approach is developed in order to improve the Human Development Index, HDI, with the Thermodynamic Human Development Index, THDI, an indicator based on the thermodynamic optimisation approach, and linked to socio-economic and ecological evaluations. To do so, the entropy production rate is introduced into the HDI, in relation to the CO2 emission flows due to the anthropic activities. In this way, the HDI modified, named Thermodynamic Human Development Index THDI, results as an indicator that considers both the socio-economic needs, equity and the environmental conditions. Examples of the use of the indicator are presented. In particular, it is possible to highlight that, if environmental actions are introduced in order to reduce the CO2 emission, HDI remains constant, while THDI changes its value, pointing out its usefulness for decision makers to evaluate a priori the effectiveness of their decisions

Thermoeconomic analysis of Alessandria district: A case study for an engineering thermodynamic indicator for sustainability

Gross Domestic Product is usually the reference indicator to quantify the socio-economic consequences of the national policies due to its link to the increase of the nation well-being. But, it is used to evaluate the total monetary valuation of the productive systems, without any relation to the technological level or the environmental impact. These GDP characteristics represent the difficulties for sustainability to be realised. So, in this report, we wish to suggest a new indicator for the analysis of sustainability, with particular regards to the human wellbeing. This new indicator is based on the exergy analysis of dissipation and irreversibility. Moreover, energy is one of the fundamental drivers of the development, and of the economic growth. Last, in industrialized countries, the management of CO2 emissions represents one of the present imperative issues. Indeed, improving the energy efficiency and its rational use is one of the key economic strategies in order to achieve the target of moving towards a more sustainable development. The suggested indicator allows us to consider all these requests, for the progress towards a sustainable development, resulting a very interesting thermoeconomic quantity to be used by decision-makers. The Alessandria district is analysed as a case study

Irreversible Thermodynamics and Bioeconomy: Toward a Human-Oriented Sustainability

The present age is characterized by a very complex economic relationship among finance, technology, social needs, etc., which can be summarized in the word “sustainability.” The sustainable consumption and production policies represent the keys to realize sustainable development. But, the analysis of the carbon footprint data points out that the present economies are still carbon-consumption production. The reduction of greenhouse gasses emissions is based on a shift from fossil to renewable and bio-based industrial raw materials, with a related reorganization of the chains of the energy and manufacturing sectors. But, this requirement implies technological choices based on a sustainable measurement of their impacts on the ecological and economical contexts. So, social and economic requirements must also be taken into account by the decision-makers. Bioeconomy can represent a possible approach to deal with the requirements of the present time. But, new needs emerge in relation to sustainability. So, sustainable policies require new indicators, in order to consider the link among economics, technologies, and social well-being. In this paper, an irreversible thermodynamic approach is developed, in order to introduce a thermoeconomic indicator, based on thermodynamic optimization methods, but also on socioeconomic and ecological evaluations. The entropy production rate is introduced in relation to the CO2 emission flows from human activities, and it is related to the income index, in order to consider the economic and social equity. This approach is of interest of the researchers in the field of econophysics, thermoeconomy, economics, and bioeconomy

Thermo-fluid dynamic resonance in cancer cells

In the third decade of XX century, Warburg pointed out that cancer cells follow a fermentative respiration process, as a consequence of a metabolic injury. In this paper, we consider this statement in the following way: any cell process requires energy, so, in the cell, a control of the energy conversion can represent a possible control of the cell processes. Engineering thermodynamics is the science that studies the conversion of energy into work. So, thermodynamics could represent a powerful approach to analyse of the energy conversion in the biosystems, for their control. Cells regulate their metabolisms by energy and mass (ions included) flows, and the heat flux occurs by the convective interaction with their environment. Here, we consider fluxes through the biosystems border, their shapes and the characteristic time of thermal interaction with the blood and water, in the cell environment. Moreover, just in relation to time, it is possible to consider the resonance phenomena. Resonance forces natural behaviours of systems, when a wave of a frequency, related to the characteristic time, income to a system. Here, we introduce the biothermodynamic characteristic frequency, which is the characteristic frequency of a biosystem, evaluated by a thermo-fluid dynamic approach, in order to control the fluxes through the cancer membrane, and to force it towards an optimal behaviour, by changing the concentrations of ions, inside and outside of the membrane itself. The result consists in a control of the cellular metabolic processes, and also of the energy available to cancer, for its growth. In this way, the cancer growth rate can be reduced

Thermoeconomics: a holistic approach to technical development

The present days represent a crossroad in the history of humanity, and of the whole Earth. Complex dynamics both of growing the poverty distribution, and of increasing of ecological environmental and socio-economic degradation, are generating a difficult socio-economic system of despair from which it is very difficult to escape. Engineering and technological improvements can represent new possibilities for the renewal of the world, but a new indicator for the decision makers is required. The result, THDI, improves the usual HDI, by taking into account also the technical and ecological level by using the CO2 emissions and the sg quantities, related to the irreversibility of a process