“Return of the repressed”: Exposure to police violence increases protest and self-sacrifice intentions for the Yellow Vests

Worldwide, it is not uncommon to observe violent police reactions against social movements. These are often rationalized by decision makers as efficient ways to contain violence from protesters. In France for instance, the ongoing Yellow Vests protests have generated an unprecedented number of casualties, injuries, and convictions among protesters. But was this response efficient in diminishing violence stemming from the Yellow Vests? To this day, little is known about the psychological consequences of police violence in the context of protests. Combining insights from Significance Quest Theory and the Social Identity perspective on collective action, we predicted that exposure to police violence could “backfire” and lead to increased radicalization of protesters. A cross-sectional investigation of 523 Yellow Vests yielded evidence for this hypothesis. We found positive direct effects of exposure to police violence on intentions to attend future demonstrations and to self-sacrifice for the Yellow Vests. Moreover, these effects were serially mediated by perceived Loss of Significance and Identification with the Yellow Vests. Paradoxically, these results highlight for the first time the mechanism through which political repression may contribute to the formation of radical politicized identities. Thus, we recommend that decision makers privilege the use of de-escalation techniques in protest policing whenever possible. </jats:p

Mesoporous sulfonic acid silicas for pyrolysis bio-oil upgrading via acetic acid esterification

Propylsulfonic acid derivatised SBA-15 catalysts have been prepared by post modification of SBA-15 with mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) for the upgrading of a model pyrolysis bio-oil via acetic acid esterification with benzyl alcohol in toluene. Acetic acid conversion and the rate of benzyl acetate production was proportional to the PrSO3H surface coverage, reaching a maximum for a saturation adlayer. Turnover frequencies for esterification increase with sulfonic acid surface density, suggesting a cooperative effect of adjacent PrSO3H groups. Maximal acetic acid conversion was attained under acid-rich conditions with aromatic alcohols, outperforming Amberlyst or USY zeolites, with additional excellent water tolerance

Catalytic upgrading of bio-oils by esterification

Biomass is the term given to naturally-produced organic matter resulting from photosynthesis, and represents the most abundant organic polymers on Earth. Consequently, there has been great interest in the potential exploitation of lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable feedstock for energy, materials and chemicals production. The energy sector has largely focused on the direct thermochemical processing of lignocellulose via pyrolysis/gasification for heat generation, and the co-production of bio-oils and bio-gas which may be upgraded to produce drop-in transportation fuels. This mini-review describes recent advances in the design and application of solid acid catalysts for the energy efficient upgrading of pyrolysis biofuels

Reaksi Hidrodeoksigenasi (Hdo) Senyawa Hasil Kondensasi Antara Furfural Dengan Aseton Menggunakan Katalis Ni/Al2o3-Zro2

Reaksi hidrodeoksigenasi (HDO) pada senyawa hasil kondensasi antara furfural dengan aseton, senyawa furfuriliden aseton (2) dan difurfuriliden aseton (3), bertujuan untuk menghasilkan senyawa hidrokarbon alifatik rantai panjang (C8- C13) sebagai alternatif bahan bakar (biofuel). Reaksi HDO pada senyawa 2 dan 3 akan menjenuhkan dan mengeliminasi beberapa gugus fungsi seperti C=C, C=O keton, dan C_O_C eter yang terkandung di dalamnya. Pada penelitian ini, katalis yang digunakan adalah Ni/Al2O3-ZrO2 (NiAZ) dengan kadar Ni sebesar 10% dan 20%. Karakterisasi katalis 10NiAZ dan 20NiAZ berdasarkan analisis dengan XRD menunjukkan adanya kristal Ni yang terimpregnasi pada pendukung Al2O3-ZrO2 (AZ) pada 2θ = 44,44; 51,80; dan 76,28°. Adanya logam Ni menyebabkan ukuran partikel dari katalis menjadi lebih kecil daripada katalis pendukung AZ, yang dibuktikan dengan hasil analisis menggunakan SEM. Jumlah logam Ni yang terdeteksi pada katalis yaitu sebesar 10,20% dan 17,58% untuk 10NiAZ dan 20NiAZ berdasarkan analisis dengan XRF. Karakterisasi adsorpsi-desorpsi menggunakan gas N2 menunjukkan bahwa katalis 10NiAZ, 20NiAZ, dan pendukung AZ merupakan katalis mesopori dengan histerisis loop pada P/Po = 0,6- 1,0. Reaksi HDO dilakukan dengan metode autoklaf Oil Batch pada atmosfir gas H2 0,27 MPa dengan variasi temperatur yaitu 150 dan 200°C dan waktu reaksi selama 2 dan 8 jam menggunakan pelarut asam (asam asetat 1 mL:air 19 mL). Pada reaksi tersebut diperoleh hasil terbaik yaitu pada kondisi reaksi A3, yaitu reaksi dengan menggunakan katalis 10NiAZ pada temperatur 150°C selama 8 jam. Pada kondisi tersebut senyawa 3 terkonversi 34,50% membentuk beberapa produk HDO berdasarkan analisis dengan GC-MS. Sementara itu, senyawa target yaitu tridekana diperoleh pada kondisi reaksi yang sama dengan kondisi A3, namun dalam reaksinya menggunakan pelarut netral (H2O) yang dinotasikan sebagai kondisi xv reaksi A3.1. Selektivitas senyawa tridekana adalah 6,67%. Berdasarkan hasil reaksi HDO yang diperoleh, dapat disimpulkan bahwa katalis 10NiAZ menunjukkan aktivitas yang lebih baik dibandingkan dengan katalis 20Ni/ZS. Hal ini dapat dijelaskan dari karakterisasi katalis menggunakan adsorpsi-desorpsi gas N2, dimana katalis 20NiAZ memiliki diameter pori yang lebih kecil daripada katalis 10NiAZ

“Macron demission!”:Loss of significance generates violent extremism for the Yellow Vests through feelings of anomia

After over 2 months of demonstration, 12 casualties, 3,142 people injured, and more than 5,000 people in custody, the question of why the Yellow Vest (YV) protests turned so violent remains. In line with a significance quest perspective on violent extremism (Kruglanski &amp; Orehek, 2011), the present contribution assessed whether the motivation to restore a sense of control and purpose could explain why French citizens engage in violent YV extremism. We hypothesized that personal loss of significance should predict intentions to display YV violence through increased feelings of anomia. Cross-sectional (Study 1, N = 776, general population) and experimental (Study 2, N = 511, undergraduate students) mediation analyses corroborated this hypothesis, in addition to other known predictors of violent extremism. These results provide a first existential-motivational explanation of YV violence in France and highlight the key role of anomia as a predictor of violent extremism under loss of significance.</p

Positive Links Between Exposure to Police Violence, PTSD, and Depression Symptoms Among Yellow Vests Protesters in France

Police violence during protests occurs worldwide with varying levels ranging from physical abuse to lethal use of force. Although prior research has investigated the health consequences of exposure to police violence (EPV), EPV’s relationship with protesters’ mental health has not yet been examined. Therefore, we designed a cross-sectional study which included measures of self-reported EPV, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. The computerized survey was disseminated among a large sample of Yellow Vests protesters in France (N = 523; average protest attendance = 18). Overall, 49% of protesters displayed severe symptoms of depression and 15.5% met the criteria for provisory post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses. Subsequent analyses revealed, as expected, positive associations between EPV, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms in our sample (.30 &lt; d &lt;.63). These were robust to adjustment on several potential confounds (e.g., physical injuries, demographics, political extremism) and similar when analyzing provisory diagnoses rates (1.65 &lt; OR &lt; 3.02). This study is the first to assess potentially detrimental effects of EPV on mental health during protests. Furthermore, prevalence rates for both provisory depression and PTSD diagnoses were comparable with those found among war-refugee populations. We call for further research on EPV among various protester samples and use longitudinal designs to investigate a potent risk factor for mental health issues among civilian populations.</p