Renormalization group improvement of the spectrum of Hydrogen-like atoms with massless fermions

We obtain the next-to-next-to-leading-log renormalization group improvement of the spectrum of Hydrogen-like atoms with massless fermions by using potential NRQED. These results can also be applied to the computation of the muonic Hydrogen spectrum where we are able to reproduce some known double logs at O(m\alpha^6). We compare with other formalisms dealing with log resummation available in the literature.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX. Minor changes, note added, final versio

Renormalization group improvement of the NRQCD Lagrangian and heavy quarkonium spectrum

We complete the leading-log renormalization group scaling of the NRQCD Lagrangian at $O(1/m^2)$. The next-to-next-to-leading-log renormalization group scaling of the potential NRQCD Lagrangian (as far as the singlet is concerned) is also obtained in the situation $m\alpha_s \gg \Lambda_{QCD}$. As a by-product, we obtain the heavy quarkonium spectrum with the same accuracy in the situation m\alpha_s^2 \simg \Lambda_{QCD}. When $\Lambda_{QCD} \ll m\alpha_s^2$, this is equivalent to obtain the whole set of $O(m\alpha_s^{(n+4)} \ln^n \alpha_s)$ terms in the heavy quarkonium spectrum. The implications of our results in the non-perturbative situation $m\alpha_s \sim \Lambda_{QCD}$ are also mentioned.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX. Minor changes. Final versio

Effective field theories for heavy quarkonium

We review recent theoretical developments in heavy quarkonium physics from the point of view of Effective Field Theories of QCD. We discuss Non-Relativistic QCD and concentrate on potential Non-Relativistic QCD. Our main goal will be to derive QCD Schr\"odinger-like equations that govern the heavy quarkonium physics in the weak and strong coupling regime. We also discuss a selected set of applications, which include spectroscopy, inclusive decays and electromagnetic threshold production.Comment: 162 pages, 30 figures, revised version, references added. Accepted for publication in Reviews of Modern Physic

Preparing the bound instance of quantum entanglement

Among the possibly most intriguing aspects of quantum entanglement is that it comes in "free" and "bound" instances. Bound entangled states require entangled states in preparation but, once realized, no free entanglement and therefore no pure maximally entangled pairs can be regained. Their existence hence certifies an intrinsic irreversibility of entanglement in nature and suggests a connection with thermodynamics. In this work, we present a first experimental unconditional preparation and detection of a bound entangled state of light. We consider continuous-variable entanglement, use convex optimization to identify regimes rendering its bound character well certifiable, and realize an experiment that continuously produced a distributed bound entangled state with an extraordinary and unprecedented significance of more than ten standard deviations away from both separability and distillability. Our results show that the approach chosen allows for the efficient and precise preparation of multimode entangled states of light with various applications in quantum information, quantum state engineering and high precision metrology.Comment: The final version accounts for a recent comment in Nature Physics [24] clarifying that a previous claim of having generated bound entanglement [23] was not supported by the authors' data. We also extended our introduction and discussion and also added reference

Drug-like analogues of the parasitic worm-derived immunomodulator ES-62 are therapeutic in the MRL/Lpr model of systemic lupus erythematosus

Introduction ES-62, a phosphorylcholine (PC)-containing immunomodulator secreted by the parasitic worm Acanthocheilonema viteae, protects against nephritis in the MRL/Lpr mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, ES-62 is not suitable for development as a therapy and thus we have designed drug-like small molecule analogues (SMAs) based around its active PC-moiety. To provide proof of concept that ES-62-based SMAs exhibit therapeutic potential in SLE, we have investigated the capacity of two SMAs to protect against nephritis when administered to MRL/Lpr mice after onset of kidney damage. Methods SMAs 11a and 12b were evaluated for their ability to suppress antinuclear antibody (ANA) generation and consequent kidney pathology in MRL/Lpr mice when administered after the onset of proteinuria. Results SMAs 11a and 12b suppressed development of ANA and proteinuria. Protection reflected downregulation of MyD88 expression by kidney cells and this was associated with reduced production of IL-6, a cytokine that exhibits promise as a therapeutic target for this condition. Conclusions SMAs 11a and 12b provide proof of principle that synthetic compounds based on the safe immunomodulatory mechanisms of parasitic worms can exhibit therapeutic potential as a novel class of drugs for SLE, a disease for which current therapies remain inadequate

Ultrasoft Renormalization in Non-Relativistic QCD

For Non-Relativistic QCD the velocity renormalization group correlates the renormalization scales for ultrasoft, potential and soft degrees of freedom. Here we discuss the renormalization of operators by ultrasoft gluons. We show that renormalization of soft vertices can induce new operators, and also present a procedure for correctly subtracting divergences in mixed potential-ultrasoft graphs. Our results affect the running of the spin-independent potentials in QCD. The change for the NNLL t-tbar cross section near threshold is very small, being at the 1% level and essentially independent of the energy. We also discuss implications for analyzing situations where mv^2 ~ Lambda_QCD.Comment: 31 pages, 11 fig

Brain–computer interface game applications for combined neurofeedback and biofeedback treatment for children on the autism spectrum

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show deficits in social and communicative skills, including imitation, empathy, and shared attention, as well as restricted interests and repetitive patterns of behaviors. Evidence for and against the idea that dysfunctions in the mirror neuron system are involved in imitation and could be one underlying cause for ASD is discussed in this review. Neurofeedback interventions have reduced symptoms in children with ASD by self-regulation of brain rhythms. However, cortical deficiencies are not the only cause of these symptoms. Peripheral physiological activity, such as the heart rate, is closely linked to neurophysiological signals and associated with social engagement. Therefore, a combined approach targeting the interplay between brain, body and behavior could be more effective. Brain-computer interface applications for combined neurofeedback and biofeedback treatment for children with ASD are currently nonexistent. To facilitate their use, we have designed an innovative game that includes social interactions and provides neural- and body-based feedback that corresponds directly to the underlying significance of the trained signals as well as to the behavior that is reinforced

Ultrasoft NLL Running of the Nonrelativistic O(v) QCD Quark Potential

Using the nonrelativistic effective field theory vNRQCD, we determine the contribution to the next-to-leading logarithmic (NLL) running of the effective quark-antiquark potential at order v (1/mk) from diagrams with one potential and two ultrasoft loops, v being the velocity of the quarks in the c.m. frame. The results are numerically important and complete the description of ultrasoft next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic (NNLL) order effects in heavy quark pair production and annihilation close to threshold.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables; minor modifications, typos corrected, references added, footnote adde