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Search Results (629)

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Keywords = non-equilibrium thermodynamic

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20 pages, 2804 KiB  
Article
Energetic Variational Modeling of Active Nematics: Coupling the Toner–Tu Model with ATP Hydrolysis
by Yiwei Wang
Entropy 2025, 27(8), 801; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27080801 - 27 Jul 2025
Viewed by 216
Abstract
We present a thermodynamically consistent energetic variational model for active nematics driven by ATP hydrolysis. Extending the classical Toner–Tu framework, we introduce a chemo-mechanical coupling mechanism in which the self-advection and polarization dynamics are modulated by the ATP hydrolysis rate. The model is [...] Read more.
We present a thermodynamically consistent energetic variational model for active nematics driven by ATP hydrolysis. Extending the classical Toner–Tu framework, we introduce a chemo-mechanical coupling mechanism in which the self-advection and polarization dynamics are modulated by the ATP hydrolysis rate. The model is derived using an energetic variational approach that integrates both chemical free energy and mechanical energy into a unified energy dissipation law. The reaction rate equation explicitly incorporates mechanical feedback, revealing how active transport and alignment interactions influence chemical fluxes and vice versa. This formulation not only preserves consistency with non-equilibrium thermodynamics but also provides a transparent pathway for modeling energy transduction in active systems. We also present numerical simulations demonstrating the positive energy transduction under a specific choice of model parameters. The new modeling framework offers new insights into energy transduction and regulation mechanisms in biologically related active systems. Full article
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17 pages, 1535 KiB  
Article
Isobaric Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium of Biomass-Derived Ethyl Levulinate and Ethanol at 40.0, 60.0 and 80.0 kPa
by Wenteng Bo, Xinghua Zhang, Qi Zhang, Lungang Chen, Jianguo Liu, Longlong Ma and Shengyong Ma
Energies 2025, 18(15), 3939; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18153939 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 211
Abstract
Isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for binary mixtures of biomass–derived ethyl levulinate and ethanol were measured using an apparatus comprising a modified Rose-Williams still and a condensation system. Measurements were taken at temperatures ranging from 329.58 K to 470.00 K and pressures of [...] Read more.
Isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for binary mixtures of biomass–derived ethyl levulinate and ethanol were measured using an apparatus comprising a modified Rose-Williams still and a condensation system. Measurements were taken at temperatures ranging from 329.58 K to 470.00 K and pressures of 40.0, 60.0 and 80.0 kPa. The thermodynamic consistency of the VLE data was evaluated using the Redlich-Kister area test, the Fredenslund test and the Van Ness point-to-point test. The data was correlated using three activity coefficient models: Wilson, NRTL and UNIQUAC. The Gibbs energy of mixing of the VLE data was analyzed to verify the suitability of the binary interaction parameters of these models. The activity coefficients and excess Gibbs free energy, calculated from the VLE experimental data and model correlation results, were analyzed to evaluate the models’ fit and the non–ideality of the binary system. The accuracy of the regression results was also assessed based on the root mean square deviation (RMSD) and average absolute deviation (AAD) for both temperature and the vapor phase mole fraction of ethyl levulinate. The results indicate that the NRTL model provided the best fit to the experimental data. Notably, the experimental data showed strong correlation with the predictions of all three models, suggesting their reliability for practical application. Full article
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32 pages, 735 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Balance: A Thermodynamic Principle for the Emergence of the Golden Ratio in Open Non-Equilibrium Steady States
by Alejandro Ruiz
Entropy 2025, 27(7), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27070745 - 11 Jul 2025
Viewed by 505
Abstract
We develop a symmetry-based variational theory that shows the coarse-grained balance of work inflow to heat outflow in a driven, dissipative system relaxed to the golden ratio. Two order-2 Möbius transformations—a self-dual flip and a self-similar shift—generate a discrete non-abelian subgroup of [...] Read more.
We develop a symmetry-based variational theory that shows the coarse-grained balance of work inflow to heat outflow in a driven, dissipative system relaxed to the golden ratio. Two order-2 Möbius transformations—a self-dual flip and a self-similar shift—generate a discrete non-abelian subgroup of PGL(2,Q(5)). Requiring any smooth, strictly convex Lyapunov functional to be invariant under both maps enforces a single non-equilibrium fixed point: the golden mean. We confirm this result by (i) a gradient-flow partial-differential equation, (ii) a birth–death Markov chain whose continuum limit is Fokker–Planck, (iii) a Martin–Siggia–Rose field theory, and (iv) exact Ward identities that protect the fixed point against noise. Microscopic kinetics merely set the approach rate; three parameter-free invariants emerge: a 62%:38% split between entropy production and useful power, an RG-invariant diffusion coefficient linking relaxation time and correlation length Dα=ξz/τ, and a ϑ=45 eigen-angle that maps to the golden logarithmic spiral. The same dual symmetry underlies scaling laws in rotating turbulence, plant phyllotaxis, cortical avalanches, quantum critical metals, and even de-Sitter cosmology, providing a falsifiable, unifying principle for pattern formation far from equilibrium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Entropy and Biology)
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63 pages, 988 KiB  
Article
Effective Lagrangian for the Macroscopic Motion of Weyl Fermions in 3He-A
by Maik Selch and Mikhail Zubkov
Symmetry 2025, 17(7), 1045; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17071045 - 2 Jul 2025
Viewed by 168
Abstract
We consider the macroscopic motion of the normal component of superfluid 3He-A in global thermodynamic equilibrium within the context of the Zubarev statistical operator method. We formulate the corresponding effective theory in the language of the functional integral. The effective Lagrangian comprising [...] Read more.
We consider the macroscopic motion of the normal component of superfluid 3He-A in global thermodynamic equilibrium within the context of the Zubarev statistical operator method. We formulate the corresponding effective theory in the language of the functional integral. The effective Lagrangian comprising macroscopic motion of fermionic excitations is calculated explicitly for the emergent relativistic fermions of the superfluid 3He-A phase immersed in a non-trivial bosonic background due to a space- and time-dependent matrix-valued vierbein featuring nonzero torsion as well as the Nieh–Yan anomaly. We do not consider the dynamics of the superfluid component itself and thereby its backreaction effects due to normal component macroscopic flow. It is treated as an external background within which the emergent relativistic fermions of the normal component move. The matrix-valued vierbein formulation comprises an additional two-dimensional internal spin space for the two axially charged Weyl fermions living at the Fermi points, which may be replaced by one featuring a Dirac fermion doublet with a real-valued vierbein, an axial Abelian gauge field, and a spin connection gauge field mixing the Dirac and internal spin spaces. We carry out this change of description in detail and determine the constraints on the superfluid background as well as the the normal component motion as determined from the Zubarev statistical operator formalism in global thermodynamic equilibrium. As an application of the developed theory, we consider macroscopic rotation around the axis of pure integer mass vortices. The corresponding thermodynamic quantities of the normal component are analyzed. Our formulation incorporates both superfluid background flow and macroscopic motion flow of the normal component and thereby enables an analysis of their interrelation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Topological Aspects of Quantum Gravity and Quantum Information Theory)
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20 pages, 575 KiB  
Article
Onsager’s Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics as Gradient Flow in Information Geometry
by Tatsuaki Wada and Antonio Maria Scarfone
Entropy 2025, 27(7), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27070710 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 314
Abstract
We consider Onsager’s non-equilibrium thermodynamics from the perspective of the gradient flow in information geometry. Assuming Onsager’s reciprocal relations, we can regard his phenomenological equations as gradient-flow equations and develop two different gradient-flow models. We consider their features and their relations. Both models [...] Read more.
We consider Onsager’s non-equilibrium thermodynamics from the perspective of the gradient flow in information geometry. Assuming Onsager’s reciprocal relations, we can regard his phenomenological equations as gradient-flow equations and develop two different gradient-flow models. We consider their features and their relations. Both models are applied to the ideal gas and van der Waals gas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Non-equilibrium Phenomena)
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19 pages, 994 KiB  
Article
(Finite-Time) Thermodynamics, Hyperbolicity, Lorentz Invariance: Study of an Example
by Bernard Guy
Entropy 2025, 27(7), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27070700 - 29 Jun 2025
Viewed by 369
Abstract
Our study lies at the intersection of three fields: finite-time thermodynamics, relativity theory, and the theory of hyperbolic conservation laws. Each of these fields has its own requirements and richness, and in order to link them together as effectively as possible, we have [...] Read more.
Our study lies at the intersection of three fields: finite-time thermodynamics, relativity theory, and the theory of hyperbolic conservation laws. Each of these fields has its own requirements and richness, and in order to link them together as effectively as possible, we have simplified each one, reducing it to its fundamental principles. The example chosen concerns the propagation of chemical changes in a very large reactor, as found in geology. We ask ourselves two sets of questions: (1) How do the finiteness of propagation speeds modeled by hyperbolic problems (diffusion is neglected) and the finiteness of the time allocated to transformations interact? (2) How do the finiteness of time and that of resources interact? The similarity in the behavior of the pairs of variables (x, t and resources, resource flows) in Lorentz relativistic transformations allows us to put them on the same level and propose complementary-type relationships between the two classes of finiteness. If times are finite, so are resources, which can be neither zero nor infinite. In hyperbolic problems, a condition is necessary to select solutions with a physical sense among the multiplicity of weak solutions: this is given by the entropy production, which is Lorentz invariant (and not entropy alone). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The First Half Century of Finite-Time Thermodynamics)
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20 pages, 332 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Considerations on the Co-Production of Biomethane and Ammonia from Algae and Bacteria
by Umberto Lucia and Giulia Grisolia
Inventions 2025, 10(4), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions10040047 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 329
Abstract
Ammonia is a critical compound for numerous industrial processes; however, the conventional methods for its production present substantial environmental challenges. Co-producing biofuels and ammonia from biomass through anaerobic digestion offers a promising alternative to address these concerns. This study presents a theoretical assessment [...] Read more.
Ammonia is a critical compound for numerous industrial processes; however, the conventional methods for its production present substantial environmental challenges. Co-producing biofuels and ammonia from biomass through anaerobic digestion offers a promising alternative to address these concerns. This study presents a theoretical assessment of the co-production of biomethane and ammonia from microalgae and cyanobacteria, utilising water from abandoned mine and quarry pit-lakes—specifically focusing on the Alessandria district as a case study. The analysis is based on the average values reported in the literature for the anaerobic digestion of selected biomass types. The results highlight Arthrospira platensis, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella spp., and Chlorella pyrenoidosa as the most promising species due to their superior yields of both ammonia and biomethane. This work aims to promote new opportunities for repurposing disused mining pit-lakes, contributing to the development of sustainable pathways for the integrated production of biofuels and ammonia. In this context, exploring integrated biorefinery systems within a bio-based economy represents an auspicious direction for future research, potentially enhancing the process efficiency and reducing costs. Full article
22 pages, 1719 KiB  
Article
Selection of High-Performance Sorbent for H2S Removal and Regulation of Reaction Products via Thermodynamic Simulation
by Yanni Xuan, Shuaicheng Peng, Hong Tian, Zhangmao Hu, Yanshan Yin and Haitao Gao
Materials 2025, 18(12), 2918; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18122918 - 19 Jun 2025
Viewed by 436
Abstract
Thermodynamic simulations of the H2S removal from blast furnace gas by metal oxides were conducted to select a suitable metal desulfurizer. Notably, the Mn oxides demonstrated themselves as the optimal H2S removal agents. They are characterized by the absence [...] Read more.
Thermodynamic simulations of the H2S removal from blast furnace gas by metal oxides were conducted to select a suitable metal desulfurizer. Notably, the Mn oxides demonstrated themselves as the optimal H2S removal agents. They are characterized by the absence of radioactive pollution, high cost-effectiveness, high sulfur fixation potential, and non-reactivity with CO2, CO, and CH4. Through a comprehensive comparison of Mn oxides, the sulfur fixation potential and sulfur capacity were elucidated as follows: Mn3O4 > Mn2O3 > MnO2 > MnO. The higher-valence manganese oxides were shown to have stronger oxidation ability, larger sulfur capacity, and the advantage of producing elemental sulfur with high utilization value during the reaction. After selecting Mn oxides as the optimal H2S removal agents, an equilibrium component analysis of the regeneration process of the sulfided MnS was carried out. The results indicate that an oxygen amount that is 1.5 times that of MnS is the optimal dosage, and such an amount can oxidize all of the MnS at a relatively low temperature. Conversely, a diluted oxygen concentration can further reduce the temperature of the regeneration process, preventing the sintering of the regenerated desulfurizer and thus maintaining its reusability. This research provides a sufficient theoretical basis for the use of Mn oxides as active components of desulfurizers to remove H2S from blast furnace gas and for the regeneration of MnS after desulfurization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Materials Physics)
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27 pages, 1540 KiB  
Review
Cyanobacterial UV Pigments Evolved to Optimize Photon Dissipation Rather than Photoprotection
by Aleksandar Simeonov and Karo Michaelian
Biophysica 2025, 5(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/biophysica5020023 - 18 Jun 2025
Viewed by 569
Abstract
An ancient repertoire of ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing pigments which survive today in the phylogenetically oldest extant photosynthetic organisms, the cyanobacteria, point to a direction in evolutionary adaptation of the pigments and their associated biota; from largely UV-C absorbing pigments in the Archean to pigments [...] Read more.
An ancient repertoire of ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing pigments which survive today in the phylogenetically oldest extant photosynthetic organisms, the cyanobacteria, point to a direction in evolutionary adaptation of the pigments and their associated biota; from largely UV-C absorbing pigments in the Archean to pigments covering ever more of the longer wavelength UV and visible regions in the Phanerozoic. Since photoprotection is not dependent on absorption, such a scenario could imply selection of photon dissipation rather than photoprotection over the evolutionary history of life, consistent with the thermodynamic dissipation theory of the origin and evolution of life which suggests that the most important hallmark of biological evolution has been the covering of Earth’s surface with organic pigment molecules and water to absorb and dissipate ever more completely the prevailing surface solar spectrum. In this article we compare a set of photophysical, photochemical, biosynthetic, and other inherent properties of the two dominant classes of cyanobacterial UV-absorbing pigments, the mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and scytonemins. We show that the many anomalies and paradoxes related to these biological pigments, for example, their exudation into the environment, spectral coverage of the entire high-energy part of surface solar spectrum, their little or null photoprotective effect, their origination at UV-C wavelengths and then spreading to cover the prevailing Earth surface solar spectrum, can be better understood once photodissipation, and not photosynthesis or photoprotection, is considered as being the important variable optimized by nature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Structure and Simulation in Biological System 3.0)
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14 pages, 1641 KiB  
Article
Measurement-Induced Dynamical Quantum Thermalization
by Marvin Lenk, Sayak Biswas, Anna Posazhennikova and Johann Kroha
Entropy 2025, 27(6), 636; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27060636 - 14 Jun 2025
Viewed by 428
Abstract
One of the fundamental problems of quantum statistical physics is how an ideally isolated quantum system can ever reach thermal equilibrium behavior despite the unitary time evolution of quantum-mechanical systems. Here, we study, via explicit time evolution for the generic model system of [...] Read more.
One of the fundamental problems of quantum statistical physics is how an ideally isolated quantum system can ever reach thermal equilibrium behavior despite the unitary time evolution of quantum-mechanical systems. Here, we study, via explicit time evolution for the generic model system of an interacting, trapped Bose gas with discrete single-particle levels, how the measurement of one or more observables subdivides the system into observed and non-observed Hilbert subspaces and the tracing over the non-measured quantum numbers defines an effective, thermodynamic bath, induces the entanglement of the observed Hilbert subspace with the bath, and leads to a bi-exponential approach of the entanglement entropy and of the measured observables to thermal equilibrium behavior as a function of time. We find this to be more generally fulfilled than in the scenario of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH), namely for both local particle occupation numbers and non-local density correlation functions, and independent of the specific initial quantum state of the time evolution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Equilibrium Dynamics in Ultra-Cold Quantum Gases)
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41 pages, 5987 KiB  
Review
The Mechanical Glass Transition Temperature Affords a Fundamental Quality Control in Condensed Gels for Innovative Application in Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
by Vilia Darma Paramita, Naksit Panyoyai and Stefan Kasapis
Foods 2025, 14(12), 2098; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122098 - 14 Jun 2025
Viewed by 500
Abstract
A subject of increasing fundamental and technological interest is the techno- and bio-functionality of functional foods and nutraceuticals in high-solid gels. This encompasses the diffusion of natural bioactive compounds, prevention of oxidation of essential fatty acids, minimization of food browning, and the prevention [...] Read more.
A subject of increasing fundamental and technological interest is the techno- and bio-functionality of functional foods and nutraceuticals in high-solid gels. This encompasses the diffusion of natural bioactive compounds, prevention of oxidation of essential fatty acids, minimization of food browning, and the prevention of malodorous flavour formation in enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions, to mention but a few. Textural and sensory considerations require that these delivery/encapsulating/entrapping vehicles are made with natural hydrocolloids and co-solutes in a largely amorphous state. It is now understood that the mechanical glass transition temperature is a critical consideration in monitoring the performance of condensed polymer networks that incorporate small bioactive compounds. This review indicates that the metastable properties of the rubber-to-glass transition in condensed gels (as opposed to the thermodynamic equilibrium in crystalline lattices) are a critical parameter in providing a fundamental quality control of end products. It appears that the “sophisticated synthetic polymer research” can provide a guide in the design of advanced biomaterials for targeted release or the prevention of undesirable byproducts. Such knowledge can assist in designing and optimizing functional foods and nutraceuticals, particularly those including vitamins, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, stimulants for performance enhancement, and antimicrobials. Full article
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24 pages, 649 KiB  
Article
Biothermodynamic Analysis of Norovirus: Mechanistic Model of Virus–Host Interactions and Virus–Virus Competition Based on Gibbs Energy
by Marko E. Popović, Vojin Tadić and Marijana Pantović Pavlović
Microbiol. Res. 2025, 16(6), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres16060112 - 1 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1874
Abstract
Norovirus is a leading cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide and has been studied extensively from the perspective of life and biomedical sciences. However, no biothermodynamic analysis of Norovirus has been reported in the literature. Such an analysis would provide insights into the role [...] Read more.
Norovirus is a leading cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide and has been studied extensively from the perspective of life and biomedical sciences. However, no biothermodynamic analysis of Norovirus has been reported in the literature. Such an analysis would provide insights into the role of energetic constraints in the interactions between Norovirus and its host cells and other viruses. In this research, Norovirus was characterized from the aspect of chemistry and chemical thermodynamics, with the determination of its molecular formula, empirical formula, molar mass and thermodynamic properties (enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs energy) of formation. Based on these properties, biosynthesis reactions were formulated that show how Norovirus particles are synthetized inside host cells, and the thermodynamic properties of biosynthesis were determined. Moreover, the thermodynamic properties of the binding of Norovirus to its host cell receptor were determined. These were then used to develop a model of virus–host interactions at the cell membrane (antigen-receptor binding) and inside the cytoplasm (virus multiplication), with the phenomenological equations of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Based on the model, an analysis of the virus–virus competition between Norovirus and Rotavirus was conducted. Full article
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15 pages, 325 KiB  
Article
On the Change of Measure for Brownian Processes
by Francis J. Pinski
Entropy 2025, 27(6), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27060594 - 31 May 2025
Viewed by 544
Abstract
Sometimes, limits can be singular, implying that they take on different values depending on the order of arithmetic operations. In other words, the limit map lacks commutativity. While all such limits are mathematically valid, only one can be the physical limit. The change [...] Read more.
Sometimes, limits can be singular, implying that they take on different values depending on the order of arithmetic operations. In other words, the limit map lacks commutativity. While all such limits are mathematically valid, only one can be the physical limit. The change of measure for Brownian processes illustrates this phenomenon. A substantial body of elegant mathematics centered around continuous-time Brownian processes has been embraced by the physics community to investigate the nonequilibrium and equilibrium thermodynamics of systems composed of atoms and molecules. In this paper, we derive the continuous-time limit of discrete-time Brownian dynamics, specifically focusing on the change of measure. We demonstrate that this result yields the physical limit that differs from the commonly used expression. Consequently, the concepts of “the most probable path”, “minimum thermodynamic action”, and “the small-noise limit” are unphysical mathematical artifacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Non-equilibrium Phenomena)
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17 pages, 3854 KiB  
Article
Effect of Aluminum Content on Solidification Process and Microsegregation of δ-TRIP Steel
by Rudong Wang, Yanhui Sun and Heng Cui
Metals 2025, 15(6), 587; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15060587 - 25 May 2025
Viewed by 444
Abstract
As a third-generation advanced high-strength steel (AHSS), δ-TRIP steel exhibits the characteristics of high strength, high plasticity, and low density. However, the addition of Al to steel will affect solidification and segregation, which may impact the final microstructure and mechanical properties of the [...] Read more.
As a third-generation advanced high-strength steel (AHSS), δ-TRIP steel exhibits the characteristics of high strength, high plasticity, and low density. However, the addition of Al to steel will affect solidification and segregation, which may impact the final microstructure and mechanical properties of the product. In this study, thermodynamic calculations and microsegregation model analysis were employed to investigate the effects of Al addition on the solidification path, peritectic reaction range, equilibrium partition coefficients, and microsegregation behavior of δ-TRIP steel. The results show that with an increase in the Al content, the carbon content range in which δ ferrite is retained without complete transformation during the solid-state phase transition becomes broader. Simultaneously, the carbon concentration range of the peritectic zone expands. The segregation of the C, Si, Mn, P, and S elements increases with increasing Al content, whereas the segregation of Al decreases as the Al content increases. Under non-equilibrium solidification conditions, unlike equilibrium solidification, the temperature difference between the solid and liquid phases initially increases, then decreases, and subsequently levels off with further Al addition. This study provides information for the composition design and production process optimization of δ-TRIP steel, and the research results can provide a reference for similar high-aluminum, low-density steels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced High-Performance Steels: From Fundamental to Applications)
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33 pages, 6442 KiB  
Article
Genomic-Thermodynamic Phase Synchronization: Maxwell’s Demon-like Regulation of Cell Fate Transition
by Masa Tsuchiya, Kenichi Yoshikawa and Alessandro Giuliani
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(10), 4911; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26104911 - 20 May 2025
Viewed by 1068
Abstract
Dynamic criticality—the balance between order and chaos—is fundamental to genome regulation and cellular transitions. In this study, we investigate the distinct behaviors of gene expression dynamics in MCF-7 breast cancer cells under two stimuli: heregulin (HRG), which promotes cell fate transitions, and epidermal [...] Read more.
Dynamic criticality—the balance between order and chaos—is fundamental to genome regulation and cellular transitions. In this study, we investigate the distinct behaviors of gene expression dynamics in MCF-7 breast cancer cells under two stimuli: heregulin (HRG), which promotes cell fate transitions, and epidermal growth factor (EGF), which binds to the same receptor but fails to induce cell-fate changes. We model the system as an open, nonequilibrium thermodynamic system and introduce a convergence-based approach for the robust estimation of information-thermodynamic metrics. Our analysis reveals that the Shannon entropy of the critical point (CP) dynamically synchronizes with the entropy of the rest of the whole expression system (WES), reflecting coordinated transitions between ordered and disordered phases. This phase synchronization is driven by net mutual information scaling with CP entropy dynamics, demonstrating how the CP governs genome-wide coherence. Furthermore, higher-order mutual information emerges as a defining feature of the nonlinear gene expression network, capturing collective effects beyond simple pairwise interactions. By achieving thermodynamic phase synchronization, the CP orchestrates the entire expression system. Under HRG stimulation, the CP becomes active, functioning as a Maxwell’s demon with dynamic, rewritable chromatin memory to guide a critical transition in cell fate. In contrast, under EGF stimulation, the CP remains inactive in this strategic role, passively facilitating a non-critical transition. These findings establish a biophysical framework for cell fate determination, paving the way for innovative approaches in cancer research and stem cell therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances and Insights in Cancer Genomics)
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