Thermodynamics Characterization of Lung Carcinoma, Entropic Study and Metabolic Correlations

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Review of the paper entitled: Thermodynamics characterization of lung carcinoma, 3 entropic study and metabolic correlations

The paper proposes the use of dielectric spectroscopy, to obtain information on the chemical-physical characteristics of cancerous cells starting from the dielectric properties as a non-invasive and cost limited system to evaluate first signs of lung cancer. The paper uses the experimental data of Wang et al. (2014) and analyzes the behavior and how this is sustained by the equations.

Since the experimental data is not obtained in this paper and it is not explained in methods. I would be good to at least mention on how many patients was obtained and the type of data managed (average and standard deviation).

Line 29: this help cells to obtain the required ATP from the minimum amount of nutrients. ATP should be expanded in this point since it is the first time used in the paper.

Besides there is a problem with the sign’s compatibility:

Line 90 to 93 there are some missing symbols.

Line 103 missing s

Line 166 missing frequency symbol.

Line 214 missing symbol.

Line 226 and 228 and 234 and 237 missing symbols.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

  - Several symbols have blank spaces in the digital file. - The absence of a consistent and detailed formulation was verified.
- The absence of a detailed methodology was verified.
- The specific objectives are not clear.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

I find this study interesting, hopefully the idea and the related method can be applied in the everyday practice at once.

I have some remarks and questions.

There are many - assumable - missing characters in the pdf file, e.g. 

line 90 ...permittivity _r /I see just the subscript/
lines 91,92 (    = 6.8 ...), (    = 5.7 ...) /What is standing in front of the equal sign?/
lines 131, 132, 133 A = ..... ?  B = ?
lines 166, 182, 226 ? /There is an extra space for what./
lines 330 /I see just the subscripts.  _2R  _R .../

Please, check these!  

In the title: Thermodynamic characterization ...

In the abstract: ...minor >additional< entropy production ... (?)

Remark: The dipole moment in Eqs. (1) and (2) can be formulated in a much shorter form:

P = q l, where l = r_{q}-r_{-q}. The vector l shows from the negative charge towards the positive one. (Please, see a physics textbook.)

Question to line 111: What is the applied electric field strength range? What is the limit in the electric field to get the same shape of curves? (I miss some experimental data for these.)

Remark to lines 132,133: Please note, that A and B pertain to the title of the later sections.

Remark: I miss a short sentence before the Figs that the following plots are calculated by/ based on the mathematical formulations collected in the Appendix. 

Remarks: I miss the units in Figs 1-9. P^(1), dP^(1)/dt, etc. In Fig 1 the plot is ....as a function of frequency n. In Fig. 2 the plot is ...as a function of frequency \omega(Hz). So, if n is the frequency its unit is Hz.\omega is the angular frequency \omega = 2 \pi n, and its unit is 1/s or rad/s. It is generally used (the false) \omega is the frequency, but then n is not used.

Remarks to lines 286, 287: The start point of Kluitenberg’s theory is the possibility of the follow decomposition 

Eq. A1, where

p^(0) is the equilibrium value ..., and p^(1) is a deviance from the equilibrium considered as a internal variable of the theory. (The word can be seen in line 19, and later never /except in the bibliography/, however this is the main idea!) The central idea of Kluitenberg's theory that the entropy s is the function of the introduced internal variable. Please, check and upgrade the theory with some explanatory words.

Remark to lines 295,296: The electric field is not reversible or irreversible, the action of the electric field may be this or that.

Remarks to Eqs A5-A9 and lines 304-306: 

a^(0,0) or a^(00) ?
a^(1,1) or a^(11) ?
L^(0,0) or L^(00) ?
L^(1,1) or L^(11) ?

Question: What is \sigma in Eqs. (A15)-(A17)?

Remark to Eq. (A24): Since, this expression leads to one of the main results of the paper, it would be useful write a little bit more about it mentioning its name: entropy production. The time average part is plotted in Fig. 7.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors included all suggestions.