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Many social outcomes are reached by means of competitions between opposing actors. While the positive effects of competition are beyond dispute, this paper contends that competitive situations also trigger a particular psychological mindset that can distort contestants’ judgment and lead to suboptimal courses of action. The paper presents a theoretical framework that consists of a myside bias, by which people adopt a self-serving view of the competition, evaluate themselves favorably, and evaluate their counterpart unfavorably. The framework also proposes the construct of otherside bias, by which people impute to their counterparts distortions that are similar, but opposite, to their own. The combined effect of these biases is to fuel conflict-promoting behavior. Next, the paper presents two experiments designed to test this framework. Using minimalistic experimental treatments, we find that participants assigned to adversarial roles display the myside and otherside biases. The primary objective of this paper is to offer a comprehensive account of the psychological mindset evoked by competitive situations. We integrate findings established across a variety of research fields into a unifying theoretical framework and demonstrate their joint impact on this important domain of human judgment and behavior. Second, we propose that coherence-based reasoning serves as the cognitive backbone of the framework, in that the array of judgments are intricately interconnected and organized in a coherence maximizing representational structure both within and between the myside and otherside biases. Third, we discuss the framework’s implications for a variety of legal domains, including negotiations, litigation, expert testimony, and police investigations.

Among the diverse approaches for improving the electrode performance of solid oxide fuel cells operating at intermediate temperatures, the use of nanofiber-based electrodes has provided large improvement owing to their large specific surface area, continuous conduction pathway, and highly porous structure. However, the low thermal stability at increased temperature often limits the process compatibility and sustainability during operation. In this study, we fabricated nanofiber-based electrodes with a high porosity and hollow shape using one-step electrospinning with a hydrogel polymer, which exhibited largely improved performance and excellent thermal stability. A porous-nanofiber-based cell exhibits a polarization resistance of 0.021 Ωcm2 and maximum power density of 1.71 W/cm2 at 650 °C, which is an improvement of 34.3% and 14.7% compared to that of a solid-nanofiber-based cell, respectively. Comprehensive analyses of the microstructures and chemistry indicate that the performance increase is mainly attributable to the enhanced surface oxygen exchange reactions owing to the extended reaction sites with lower energy barriers by the high porosity and enriched oxygen vacancies in the nanofibers.

Considering the dominant loss associated with surface oxygen exchange reactions among other complex electrochemical processes, the design of an electrode structure for the reasonable operation of solid oxide fuel cells is challenging. The surface oxygen exchange reaction can be considerably facilitated using composite nanofibers containing the electrode, electrolyte, and catalyst. The composite nanofiber electrodes containing Pd show the smallest polarization resistance of 0.031 Ωcm2 and the maximum power density of 0.7 W/cm2 at 650 °C, which are 39.2% and 12.5% improved values compare to the catalyst-free composite nanofiber electrodes, respectively. These results provide an facile fabrication strategy for developing high-performance electrodes for use in solid oxide fuel cells.

The tribological performance and friction-induced vibration of Gd0.2-Ce0.8O1.9 (GDC) reinforced nickel oxide (NiO) metal matrix composites prepared via sintering on the tribological performance, as well as friction induced vibration were investigated. Compared to pure NiO, the composites exhibit improved mechanical properties, such as a relatively high dislocation density, hardness and small grain size. The results show that GDC-reinforced NiO nanocomposites feature improved tribological performance and can suppress the occurrence of friction-induced vibration under variable loading conditions. Furthermore, the generated acceleration can be suppressed by wear particles generated during the friction process, acting as the third body at the contact interface. As a result, the addition of GDC reduces the grain size of the composite, increases hardness, and improves tribological properties through the synergetic effect of the solid lubricating action of NiO and the role of the third body of the wear particle.

For high-performance intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs), rational design of the interface between the electrode and electrolyte is essential, because interfacial reactivity often dominates the overall performance. In this study, a unique nanowrinkled structure of a Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95 functional layer is fabricated by electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) between a porous nanostructured electrode and dense electrolyte, for extended and activated reaction sites at the interfaces. Upon the introduction of the nanowrinkled functional layer, the polarization resistance is reduced 3.3-fold, while the peak power density is increased 2.2-fold (0.034 Ω cm2 and 1.19 W cm−2, respectively) at 650 °C, compared to those of the reference sample. The substantial increases in surface area and grain boundary density in the nanowrinkled functional layer reduce both polarization resistance and activation energy, providing a significant performance enhancement. Our results demonstrate the importance of interface engineering with a cost-effective and simple ESD process to fully utilize the nanostructured electrodes for high-performance IT-SOFCs.

Strontium segregation at perovskite surfaces deteriorates the oxygen reduction reaction kinetics of cathodes and therefore the long-term stability of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). For the systematic and quantitative assessment of the elastic energy in perovskite oxides, which is known to be one of the main origins for dopant segregation, we report the fractional free volume as a new descriptor for the elastic energy in the perovskite oxide system. To verify the fractional free volume model, three samples were prepared with different A-site dopants: La0.6Sr0.4CoO3−δ, La0.6Sr0.2Ca0.2CoO3−δ, and La0.6Ca0.4CoO3−δ. A combination of the theoretical calculations of the segregation energy and oxide formation energy and experimental measurements of the structural, chemical, and electrochemical degradation substantiated the validity of using the fractional free volume to predict the dopant segregation. Furthermore, the dopant segregation could be significantly suppressed by increasing the fractional free volume i...

We demonstrate the Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3-δ (SSC) nanofiber-based composite cathodes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs), showing a cathode area-specific resistance (ASR) value of 0.024 Ωcm2 at 650 °C. The hollow and porous SSC nanofiber layer, fabricated by electrospinning, is sintered at low temperatures to preserve the high specific surface area for facile oxygen surface exchange reactions. The low sintering temperature is enabled by additional SSC powder layer, providing sufficient adhesion between the electrolyte and the nanofiber layer. Our results can provide a design guideline to fully utilize the nanostructured electrodes by engineering the structural properties of the surface and the interface, and hence high-performance IT-SOFCs can be achieved by structural modification with conventional materials.

We systematically investigated the effects of grain boundaries (GBs) at the electrolyte/cathode interface of two conventional electrolyte materials, i.e., yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC). We deposited additional layers by pulsed laser deposition to control the GB density on top of the polycrystalline substrates, obtaining significant improvements in peak power density (two-fold for YSZ and three-fold for GDC). The enhanced performance at high GB density in the additional layer could be ascribed to the accumulation of oxygen vacancies, which are known to be more active sites for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) than grain cores. GDC exhibited a higher enhancement than YSZ, due to the easier formation, and thus higher concentration, of oxygen vacancies for ORR. The strong relation between the concentration of oxygen vacancies and the surface exchange characteristics substantiated the role of GBs at electrolyte/cathode interfaces on ORR kinetics, providing new design parameters for highly performing solid oxide fuel cells.

This work reports the precise diameter control of electrospun yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) nanofibers from 200 to 900 nm after calcination. Fabricated YSZ nanofibers showed porous nanocrystalline structures with high aspect ratios of more than 500:1 and high surface-to-volume ratios with a specific surface area of 43.32 m2/g. The diameter of the YSZ nanofibers increased with the viscosity of the precursor solution, which was controlled by the concentrations of either polymers (polyacrylonitrile) or ceramic precursors (YSZ). We present a modified correlation between the diameter of a nanofiber and the synthetic conditions, as the observed behavior for calcined ceramic nanofibers deviated from the expected behavior. Our results demonstrate a modified but simple approach to fabricate ceramic nanofibers with desired diameters, providing a new design guideline for many electrochemical applications.

Graphene oxide (GO), which is the oxidized form of graphene, has holes and functional groups on the surface and thus has high potential to be used as an electrochemical transport channel material. In this study, differently modified GO membranes are applied as electrolytes of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) with controlled carbon/oxygen ratios. The critical and desired properties of the electrolyte, such as electron conductivity, proton conductivity, interfacial reactivity, and cell performance are evaluated in identical platinum-sputtered model electrodes. Among them, with the help of an increased concentration of oxygen-containing groups, a GO membrane with a low carbon/oxygen ratio shows a 2.9-fold improved maximum power density and advanced electrochemical properties compared with the pristine GO membrane. The characterization of GO suggests that the redox state of the membrane is an important factor for controlling the proton conductivity, interfacial reactivity, and maximum power density of PEMFCs.

Strontium segregation at perovskite surfaces deteriorates the oxygen reduction reaction kinetics of cathodes and therefore the long-term stability of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). For the systematic and quantitative assessment of the elastic energy in perovskite oxides, which is known to be one of the main origins for dopant segregation, we report the fractional free volume as a new descriptor for the elastic energy in the perovskite oxide system. To verify the fractional free volume model, three samples were prepared with different A-site dopants: La

Background and Objective Laser light has been widely used as a surgical tool to treat benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) over 20 years. Recently, application of high laser power up to 200 W was often reported to swiftly remove a large amount of prostatic tissue. The purpose of this study was to validate the feasibility of photoactive dye injection to enhance light absorption and eventually to facilitate tissue vaporization with low laser power. Materials and Methods Chicken breast tissue was selected as a target tissue due to minimal optical absorption at the visible wavelength. Four biocompatible photoactive dyes, including amaranth (AR), black dye (BD), hemoglobin powder (HP), and endoscopic marker (EM), were selected and tested in vitro with a customized 532 nm laser system with radiant exposure ranging from 0.9 to 3.9 J/cm2. Light absorbance and ablation threshold were measured with UV–Vis spectrometer and Probit analysis, respectively, and compared to feature the function of the injected dyes. Ablation performance with dye-injection was evaluated in light of radiant exposure, dye concentration, and number of injection. Results Higher light absorption by injected dyes led to lower ablation threshold as well as more efficient tissue removal in the order of AR, BD, HP, and EM. Regardless of the injected dyes, ablation efficiency principally increased with radiant exposure, dye concentration, and number of injection. Among the dyes, AR created the highest ablation rate of 44.2 ± 0.2 µm/pulse due to higher absorbance and lower ablation threshold. High aspect ratios up to 7.1 ± 0.4 entailed saturation behavior in the tissue ablation injected with AR and BD, possibly resulting from plume shielding and increased scattering due to coagulation. Preliminary tests on canine prostate with a hydraulic injection system demonstrated that 80 W with dye injection yielded comparable ablation efficiency to 120 W with no injection, indicating 33% reduced laser power with almost equivalent performance. Conclusion Due to efficient coupling of optical energy, pre-injection of photoactive dyes promoted the degree of tissue removal during laser irradiation. Further studies will investigate spatial distribution of dyes and optimal injecting pressure to govern the extent of dye-assisted ablation in a predictable manner. In-depth comprehension on photoactive dye-enhanced tissue ablation can help accomplish efficient and safe laser vaporization for BPH with low power application. Lasers Surg. Med. 46:703–711, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Given the dominant portion of oxygen reduction reactions at the electrodes, the development of an advanced electrode is critical for high-performance solid oxide fuel cells operating at intermediate temperatures. Here, Sm 0.5 Sr 0·5 CoO 3-δ and Gd 0.2 Ce 0·8 O 1.9 composite nanofibers are fabricated by the one-step electrospinning process and evaluated as the electrode of intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs), showing the 36% improved electrode performance compare to the SSC nanofiber-based cathodes at 650 °C for 100 h. The simultaneous phase formation with precursor-based one-step electrospinning ensures that the desired structural properties, including maximized heterointerfaces, increased grain boundary density, and tensile strain state, are achieved to promote oxygen reduction reactions at the cathodes. These results can provide design guidelines to utilize nanostructured electrodes by engineering the structural properties, and thus, to develop high-performance IT-SOFCs.

Current theories hypothesize that moral judgments are difficult because rational and emotional decision processes compete. We present a fundamentally different theory of moral judgment: the Subjective Utilitarian Theory of moral judgment. The Subjective Utilitarian Theory posits that people try to identify and save the competing item with the greatest "personal value." Moral judgments become difficult only when the competing items have similar personal values. In Experiment 1, we estimate the personal values of 104 items. In Experiments 2-5, we show that the distributional overlaps of the estimated personal values account for over 90% of the variance in reaction times (RTs) and response choices in a moral judgment task. Our model fundamentally restructures our understanding of moral judgments from a competition between decision processes to a competition between similarly valued items. (PsycINFO Database Record

Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) has frequently been used to treat varicose veins for 20 years. In spite of 90˜95% occlusion rates, clinical complications such as burn and ecchymosis still occur due to excessive thermal injury to perivenous tissue. In the current study, a glass-capped diffusing applicator is designed to validate the feasibility of EVLA as an effective therapeutic device by applying circumferential light distribution. The proposed device is evaluated with a flat fiber as a reference in terms of temperature elevation, fiber degradation, and degree of coagulative necrosis after 532 nm-assisted EVLA at 100 J/cm. The diffusing fiber generates a 40% lower maximum temperature with a 90% lower transient temperature change in blood, compared to the flat fiber. Due to low irradiance (13.5 kW/cm2 ) and wide light distribution, the diffuser tip experiences no significant thermal degradation while severe carbonization occurs at the flat fiber tip. Ex vivo tissue tests verify that the diffusing fiber induces circumferential and consistent tissue denaturation to the vein wall (107.8 ± 7.8 µm) along with 19% vessel shrinkage. The proposed glass-capped diffusing applicator can be a feasible therapeutic device for EVLA with minimal complications by entailing low maximum temperatures and uniform tissue denaturation in the venous tissue.

Laser light has been widely used as a surgical tool to treat benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) over 20 years. Recently, application of high laser power up to 200 W was often reported to swiftly remove a large amount of prostatic tissue. The purpose of this study was to validate the feasibility of photoactive dye injection to enhance light absorption and eventually to facilitate tissue vaporization with low laser power.Chicken breast tissue was selected as a target tissue due to minimal optical absorption at the visible wavelength. Four biocompatible photoactive dyes, including amaranth (AR), black dye (BD), hemoglobin powder (HP), and endoscopic marker (EM), were selected and tested in vitro with a customized 532 nm laser system with radiant exposure ranging from 0.9 to 3.9 J/cm(2) . Light absorbance and ablation threshold were measured with UV-Vis spectrometer and Probit analysis, respectively, and compared to feature the function of the injected dyes. Ablation performance with dye-injection was evaluated in light of radiant exposure, dye concentration, and number of injection.Higher light absorption by injected dyes led to lower ablation threshold as well as more efficient tissue removal in the order of AR, BD, HP, and EM. Regardless of the injected dyes, ablation efficiency principally increased with radiant exposure, dye concentration, and number of injection. Among the dyes, AR created the highest ablation rate of 44.2 ± 0.2 µm/pulse due to higher absorbance and lower ablation threshold. High aspect ratios up to 7.1 ± 0.4 entailed saturation behavior in the tissue ablation injected with AR and BD, possibly resulting from plume shielding and increased scattering due to coagulation. Preliminary tests on canine prostate with a hydraulic injection system demonstrated that 80 W with dye injection yielded comparable ablation efficiency to 120 W with no injection, indicating 33% reduced laser power with almost equivalent performance.Due to efficient coupling of optical energy, pre-injection of photoactive dyes promoted the degree of tissue removal during laser irradiation. Further studies will investigate spatial distribution of dyes and optimal injecting pressure to govern the extent of dye-assisted ablation in a predictable manner. In-depth comprehension on photoactive dye-enhanced tissue ablation can help accomplish efficient and safe laser vaporization for BPH with low power application.