7,235 research outputs found
A nonequilibrium extension of the Clausius heat theorem
We generalize the Clausius (in)equality to overdamped mesoscopic and
macroscopic diffusions in the presence of nonconservative forces. In contrast
to previous frameworks, we use a decomposition scheme for heat which is based
on an exact variant of the Minimum Entropy Production Principle as obtained
from dynamical fluctuation theory. This new extended heat theorem holds true
for arbitrary driving and does not require assumptions of local or close to
equilibrium. The argument remains exactly intact for diffusing fields where the
fields correspond to macroscopic profiles of interacting particles under
hydrodynamic fluctuations. We also show that the change of Shannon entropy is
related to the antisymmetric part under a modified time-reversal of the
time-integrated entropy flux.Comment: 23 pages; v2: manuscript significantly extende
On the validity of entropy production principles for linear electrical circuits
We discuss the validity of close-to-equilibrium entropy production principles
in the context of linear electrical circuits. Both the minimum and the maximum
entropy production principle are understood within dynamical fluctuation
theory. The starting point are Langevin equations obtained by combining
Kirchoff's laws with a Johnson-Nyquist noise at each dissipative element in the
circuit. The main observation is that the fluctuation functional for time
averages, that can be read off from the path-space action, is in first order
around equilibrium given by an entropy production rate. That allows to
understand beyond the schemes of irreversible thermodynamics (1) the validity
of the least dissipation, the minimum entropy production, and the maximum
entropy production principles close to equilibrium; (2) the role of the
observables' parity under time-reversal and, in particular, the origin of
Landauer's counterexample (1975) from the fact that the fluctuating observable
there is odd under time-reversal; (3) the critical remark of Jaynes (1980)
concerning the apparent inappropriateness of entropy production principles in
temperature-inhomogeneous circuits.Comment: 19 pages, 1 fi
On the (Boltzmann) Entropy of Nonequilibrium Systems
Boltzmann defined the entropy of a macroscopic system in a macrostate as
the of the volume of phase space (number of microstates) corresponding
to . This agrees with the thermodynamic entropy of Clausius when
specifies the locally conserved quantities of a system in local thermal
equilibrium (LTE). Here we discuss Boltzmann's entropy, involving an
appropriate choice of macro-variables, for systems not in LTE. We generalize
the formulas of Boltzmann for dilute gases and of Resibois for hard sphere
fluids and show that for macro-variables satisfying any deterministic
autonomous evolution equation arising from the microscopic dynamics the
corresponding Boltzmann entropy must satisfy an -theorem.Comment: 31 pages, in Tex, authors' e-mails: [email protected],
[email protected]
Health advantages of transition to batch management system in farrow-to-finish pig herds
Sow batch management systems have become more popular due to advantages in labour planning, piglet batch sizes, all-in all-out practices and health management. The present study investigated the potential health advantages of 10 selected farrow-to-finish pig herds before and after transition from a one week batch management system to a four or five week batch management system. Five different animal categories (gilts, sows, piglets, growers and finishers) were sampled at three time points (T0, T1 and T2) before and after transition to a four or five week batch management system. Different matrices of the animals were collected: blood, nasal swabs and faeces. Several economically important diseases were monitored through serology: Lawsonia intracellularis, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSv), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Actinobacillus pleuropneurnoniae; and PCR-testing: Pasteurella multocida dermonecrotic toxin (DNT) and Brachyspira species, especially the major pathogenic Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. Following serological analysis, the percentage of positive animals per category and sampling occasion were calculated. Health improvement based on serology was defined as the reduction in the percentage of positive animals for a specific disease in a specified animal category. All samples were negative for P. multocida DNT and B. hyodysenteriae. Little to no improvement could be observed for PRRSv. For L. intracellularis an improvement could be observed in piglets (71%) and growers (56%; P < 0.05). For both of the respiratory pathogens, M. hyopneumoniae and A. pleuropneumoniae, significant improvement was observed in finishers (34 and 24%, respectively). In growers, only M. hyopneumoniae showed a significant improvement (34%). In conclusion, the transition from a one week batch management system to a four or five week batch management system in the present herds resulted in a reduction of the percentage of seropositive animals for three of the monitored economically important diseases: L. intracellularis, M. hyopneumoniae and A. pleuropneumoniae
Depression and sickness behavior are Janus-faced responses to shared inflammatory pathways
It is of considerable translational importance whether depression is a form or a consequence of sickness behavior. Sickness behavior is a behavioral complex induced by infections and immune trauma and mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines. It is an adaptive response that enhances recovery by conserving energy to combat acute inflammation. There are considerable phenomenological similarities between sickness behavior and depression, for example, behavioral inhibition, anorexia and weight loss, and melancholic (anhedonia), physio-somatic (fatigue, hyperalgesia, malaise), anxiety and neurocognitive symptoms. In clinical depression, however, a transition occurs to sensitization of immuno-inflammatory pathways, progressive damage by oxidative and nitrosative stress to lipids, proteins, and DNA, and autoimmune responses directed against self-epitopes. The latter mechanisms are the substrate of a neuroprogressive process, whereby multiple depressive episodes cause neural tissue damage and consequent functional and cognitive sequelae. Thus, shared immuno-inflammatory pathways underpin the physiology of sickness behavior and the pathophysiology of clinical depression explaining their partially overlapping phenomenology. Inflammation may provoke a Janus-faced response with a good, acute side, generating protective inflammation through sickness behavior and a bad, chronic side, for example, clinical depression, a lifelong disorder with positive feedback loops between (neuro)inflammation and (neuro)degenerative processes following less well defined triggers
A meaningful expansion around detailed balance
We consider Markovian dynamics modeling open mesoscopic systems which are
driven away from detailed balance by a nonconservative force. A systematic
expansion is obtained of the stationary distribution around an equilibrium
reference, in orders of the nonequilibrium forcing. The first order around
equilibrium has been known since the work of McLennan (1959), and involves the
transient irreversible entropy flux. The expansion generalizes the McLennan
formula to higher orders, complementing the entropy flux with the dynamical
activity. The latter is more kinetic than thermodynamic and is a possible
realization of Landauer's insight (1975) that, for nonequilibrium, the relative
occupation of states also depends on the noise along possible escape routes. In
that way nonlinear response around equilibrium can be meaningfully discussed in
terms of two main quantities only, the entropy flux and the dynamical activity.
The expansion makes mathematical sense as shown in the simplest cases from
exponential ergodicity.Comment: 19 page
Thermoelectric phenomena via an interacting particle system
We present a mesoscopic model for thermoelectric phenomena in terms of an
interacting particle system, a lattice electron gas dynamics that is a suitable
extension of the standard simple exclusion process. We concentrate on
electronic heat and charge transport in different but connected metallic
substances. The electrons hop between energy-cells located alongside the
spatial extension of the metal wire. When changing energy level, the system
exchanges energy with the environment. At equilibrium the distribution
satisfies the Fermi-Dirac occupation-law. Installing different temperatures at
two connections induces an electromotive force (Seebeck effect) and upon
forcing an electric current, an additional heat flow is produced at the
junctions (Peltier heat). We derive the linear response behavior relating the
Seebeck and Peltier coefficients as an application of Onsager reciprocity. We
also indicate the higher order corrections. The entropy production is
characterized as the anti-symmetric part under time-reversal of the space-time
Lagrangian.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Journal of Physics
Comparison of personality traits among patients with psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and stress: a pilot study
Background: Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis are chronic skin diseases that greatly affect the quality of life. Both diseases can be triggered or exacerbated by stress.
Objective: We aimed to differentiate personality traits between patients with chronic skin conditions and people treated for stress in a pilot study.
Methods: Patients participating voluntarily in educational programs in Belgium and Switzerland were recruited to complete personality trait questionnaires, including the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ). A comparison was made with patients treated for work-related stress.
Results: A total of 48 and 91 patients suffering from skin diseases and work-related stress, respectively, were included in the study. Based on the questionnaires, we found that dermatology patients were less persistent and impulsive than those with work-related stress. Dermatology patients also exhibited more rigidness and less focus on performance. Finally, patients with work-related stress seem more likely to change in response to health-promoting programs than patients with chronic dermatoses.
Conclusion: Patients with chronic skin diseases may perceive and cope with stress differently in comparison to patients with work-related stress due to inherent personality traits. Therefore, stress coping mechanisms may differ among different diseases. More research is needed into the design of educational interventions and the impact of personality traits in disease-specific groups
Large deviations of lattice Hamiltonian dynamics coupled to stochastic thermostats
We discuss the Donsker-Varadhan theory of large deviations in the framework
of Hamiltonian systems thermostated by a Gaussian stochastic coupling. We
derive a general formula for the Donsker-Varadhan large deviation functional
for dynamics which satisfy natural properties under time reversal. Next, we
discuss the characterization of the stationary state as the solution of a
variational principle and its relation to the minimum entropy production
principle. Finally, we compute the large deviation functional of the current in
the case of a harmonic chain thermostated by a Gaussian stochastic coupling.Comment: Revised version, published in Journal of Statistical Physic
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