We study the implication of the time-dependent CP asymmetry in B → π + π − decays on the extraction of weak phases taking into account the precise measurement of sin 2β, obtained from the " gold-plated " mode B → J/ψKS. Predictions and uncertainties for the hadronic parameters are investigated in QCD factorization. Furthermore, independent theoretical and experimental tests of the factorization...

Direct contingency analysis has been shown to be important. Instead of this success providing a powerful foundation for major advances in all of the important areas of psychology, I fear that it is becoming a gold plated cage. My evidence: relatively narrow areas of interest are dominating the field, both applied and basic. We are not expanding, and a field not busy being born is a field that i...

The study of neutrinoless double beta decay is of outmost importance for neutrino physics. It is considered to be the gold plated channel to probe the fundamental character of neutrinos and to determine the neutrino mass. From the experimental point about nine different isotopes are explored for the search. After a general introduction follows a short discussion on nuclear matrix element calcul...

A full determination of the CKM matrix using recent results from lattice QCD is presented. To extract the CKM matrix in a uniform fashion, I exclusively use results from unquenched lattice QCD as the theory input for nonperturvative QCD effects. All 9 CKM matrix elements and all 4 Wolfenstein parameters are obtained from results for gold-plated quantities, which include semileptonic decay form ...

One of the major risks in software development projects is the phenomenon of Over-Requirement, also known as over-specification and gold-plating, where a product or a service is specified beyond the actual requirements of the customer or the market. We argue that Over-Requirement is partially due to the emotional involvement of developers with specified features, an involvement associated with ...

A full determination of the CKM matrix using recent results from lattice QCD is presented. To extract the CKM matrix in a uniform fashion, I exclusively use results from unquenched lattice QCD as the theory input for nonperturbative QCD effects. All 9 CKM matrix elements and all 4 Wolfenstein parameters are obtained from results for gold-plated quantities, which include semileptonic decay form ...

Advanced hybrid microelectronics require high performance packaging materials and components. Alumina, the most widely used ceramic material in microelectronics, is being replaced by new high performance materials such as aluminum nitride (AlN) and beryllia (BeO). AlN's thermal conductivity is an order of magnitude greater than alumina and it has a thermal expansion coefficient very close to si...

Filling high-aspect-ratio trenches with gold is a frequent requirement in the fabrication of x-ray optics as well as micro-electronic components and other fabrication processes. Conformal electrodeposition of gold in sub-micron-width silicon trenches with an aspect ratio greater than 35 over a grating area of several square centimeters is challenging and has not been described in the literature...