Emergence of energy-avoiding and energy-seeking behaviors in nonequilibrium dissipative quantum systems

A longstanding challenge in nonequilibrium thermodynamics is to predict the emergence of self-organized behaviors and functionalities typical of living matter. Despite the progress with classical complex systems, it remains far from obvious how to extrapolate these results down to the quantum scale. Here, we employ the paradigmatic master equation framework to establish that some lifelike behaviors and functionalities can indeed emerge in elementary dissipative quantum systems driven out of equilibrium. Specifically, we find both energy-avoiding (low steady dissipation) and energy-seeking behaviors (high steady dissipation), as well as self-adaptive shifts between these modes, in generic few-level systems. We also find emergent functionalities, namely, a self-organized thermal gradient in the system’s environment (in the energy-seeking mode) and an active equilibration against thermal gradients (in the energy-avoiding mode). Finally, we discuss the possibility that our results could be related to the concept of dissipative adaptation.

Feeling, Seeing, and Thinking

What has been learned through science is that the human body is not a separate part of the environment. Indeed, both organic and non-organic energies are exchanged in every instant of life. As the spectrum of electromagnetic energies used in virtual media devices has expanded, there are increasingly vast amounts of non-organic energies bombarding living matter, and there are consequences of this bombardment being paid by those whose bodies are more sensitive to these energies. Electromagnetic frequency (EMF) sensitivity has brought hundreds of people to rural Green Bank, West Virginia. This chapter follows the journey of one such individual, who has engaged her body, mind, and heart to reclaim her life through engaging in physical and mental grounding, rewiring her brain, and achieving mind-heart entrainment. Further, the authors suggest that with the easement of pain, her time-sharpened and expanded senses appear to have contributed to positive engagement with subtle energies.

Living Cells, Lifeless Molecules

Cells are composed of molecules that are lifeless but special, because most of them occur in nature only in the context of life. They are essential to all the workings of life, and no one single class holds life’s secret: life is an emergent property of the collective of molecules, assembled into the elaborate structures called cells. Cells come in great profusion, but all are variations on just two patterns of organization: prokaryotes, small and relatively simple microbes, both Bacteria and Archaea; and eukaryotes (Eukarya), the larger and more complex cells that make up all animals, plants, and fungi. The molecules of life, for all their diversity, again fall mainly into just a handful of categories. The bulk of living matter consists of proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids. Biomolecules belong to chemistry, but their functions in the process of living place them in the realm of biology.

Impacts of Micro- and Nanoplastics on Photosynthesis Activities of Photoautotrophs: A Mini-Review

The accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) has attracted immense global attention due to their adverse effects on the environment. Photosynthesis, an interface between non-living matter and living organisms, is very important for both energy flow and material circulation on our planet. Increasing evidence indicates that MNPs can pose direct or indirect stress effects on photoautotrophs, however, our knowledge about them is still limited. The purposes of this mini-review are (1) to review the latest literature of the impacts of MNPs on photosynthesis activities and summarize diverse impacts of MNPs on photosynthesis activities of different photoautotrophs (green plants, microalgae, and cyanobacteria); (2) to discuss the potential action mechanisms in both aquatic and terrestrial environments; and (3) various factors contributing toward these impacts. Additionally, this review provides key future research directions for both researchers and policymakers to better understand and alleviate the environmental impacts of MNPs on our planet.

Spontaneous rotations in epithelia as an interplay between cell polarity and RhoA activity at boundaries.

Directed flows of cells in vivo are essential in morphogenesis. They shape living matter in phenomena involving cell mechanics and regulations of the acto-myosin cytoskeleton. However the onset of coherent motion during collective cell migration is still poorly understood. Here we show that coherence is set by spontaneous alignments of cell polarity by designing cellular rings of controlled dimensions. A tug-of-war between opposite polarities dictates the onset of coherence, as assessed by tracking live cellular shapes and motions in various experimental conditions. In addition, we identify an internally driven constraint by cellular acto-myosin cables at boundaries as essential to ensure coherence and active force is generated as evaluated by the high RhoA activity. Its contribution is required to trigger coherence as shown by our numerical simulations based on a novel Vicsek-type model including free active boundaries. Altogether, spontaneous coherent motion results from basic interplay between cell orientations and active cables at boundaries.

Environmental protection of a coal-mining region

Research objective is to substantiate the relevance of mining transition to eco-friendly technologies of subsurface use. Methods of research include analyzing theory and practice of environmental technologies application and carrying out a multifactor experiment. Results. An efficiency criterion for mineral resources extraction technologies is proposed that involves reducing the effect made by the by-products of mining and processing enterprises on the state of the environment. The problem is considered of minimizing the environmental damage from storing silt coal in dumps and storages by utilizing their components. The mechanism of environmental pollution has been formulated. Aspects of metal recovery from beneficiation tailings in a disintegrator mill are investigated. A reduced threat to living matter is predicted by implementing the concept of radical waste-free processing of substandard mineral raw materials. The need to improve the processes of crushing, fine grinding, and classification of minerals in mills to reduce the waste of coal production, harmful to the environment, is noted. Conclusions and scope of the results. Deteriorated conditions of mineral deposits development raise the risk of man-made impact on the environment in coal-mining regions. The global human population grows resulting in increased resources production to respond to resource needs. The growing threat to living matter can be reduced by radical measures, the non-waste processing of substandard mineral raw materials being the priority. The research results can be helpful in the development of deposits of solid metal-containing technologically exposed ores

Chance and Necessity in the Evolution of Matter to Life: A Comprehensive Hypothesis

Specialists in several branches of life sciences are trying to solve, piece by piece, the immensely complex puzzle of the origin of life. Some parts of the puzzle seem to appear with a rather high degree of clarity, while others remain totally obscure. We cannot be sure that life emerged only on our Earth, but we believe that the presence of large amounts of water in its liquid state is absolutely essential for the emergence and evolution of living matter. We can also assume that the latter exploits everywhere the same light elements, mainly C, H, O, N, S, and P, and somehow manipulates the same simple monomeric and polymeric organic compounds, such as alpha-amino acids, carbohydrates, nucleic bases, and surface-active carboxylic acids. The author contributes to the field by stating that all fundamental particles of our matter are “homochiral” and predominantly produce in an absolute asymmetric synthesis amino acids of L-configuration and carbohydrates of D-series. Another important point is that free atmospheric oxygen mainly stems from the photolysis of water molecules by cosmic irradiation and is not necessarily bound to living organisms on the planet.