We study a closed model of the universe filled with viscous fluid and
quintessence matter components in a Brans-Dicke type cosmological model. The
dynamical equations imply that the universe may look like an accelerated flat
Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe at low redshift. We consider here
dissipative processes which follow a causal thermodynamics. The theory is
applied to viscous fluid inflation, where accepted values for the total entropy
in the observable universe is obtained.Comment: 11 pages, revtex 4. For a festschrift honoring Alberto Garcia. To be
publishen in Gen. Rel. Gra