What are four major themes in Act III of William Shakespeare's Macbeth?

Four major themes to consider in Act III of William Shakespeare's Macbeth are Loyalty, the Consequences of Murder, Treachery, and the Supernatural. The first scene in the act shows the murderers devoutly discussing and proving their loyalty to Macbeth as they are also plotting Banquo's death. Macbeth says:

I'll call upon you straight. Abide within.
It is concluded: Banquo, thy soul's flight,
If it find heaven, must find it out tonight (III.i.154-159).

The second scene opens with Lady Macbeth realizing the consequences of killing people. She discovers that all of her problems aren't erased after murdering those who seemed to be obstacles to her royal goals. She contemplates her current status by saying the following:

’Tis safer to be that which we destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy (III.ii.6-12).

Thus, Lady Macbeth cannot find peace after "securing" her husband's throne because other concerns have now emerged because of the previous decision to kill Duncan. Then treachery is revealed, of course, when Banquo is killed and he says, "O, treachery!" (III.iii.26) and proceeds to tell his son to escape the murderous trap they had fallen into. All actions discussed before this point underscore the treachery laid before him.

Finally, the Supernatural plays its consequential and vengeful part to craze and remind Macbeth of his murderous and treacherous guilt. Though a king might be able to avoid standing trial in his own kingdom, the supernatural in this case won't let him rest and condemns him to fiery madness.

Why does conduction occur more readily in solids and liquids than in gases?

Conduction occurs more easily in solids or liquids than it does in gases because the particles within solids and liquids are closer together than the particles within a gas.

Conduction is the transfer of heat energy or electricity through particles that are touching. The particles of a solid are packed tightly next to one another with little movement. The particles of a liquid are farther apart, but still close enough that they are able to flow past one another.  As the particles of a liquid or solid collide, conduction can occur.

On the other hand, the particles of a gas are spread far apart from one another. The number of collisions between gas particles is much lower than the number of collisions between solid or gas particles. Therefore, conduction does not occur as readily in gases.

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what does Scout compare Mayella to during the trial?

Mayella Ewell is the nineteen year-old daughter of Bob Ewell who accuses Tom Robinson of raping her. When Mayella takes the witness stand, Scout thinks about where she comes from and the type of life she is forced to live as a Ewell. It must be quite a disgusting life, for example, to live behind the dump, living off of what they find in the forest and in the trash. They don't bathe like they should, either; but they did seem to have bathed for court that day. In fact, Scout says that Mr. Ewell had washed off a protective layer of dirt which exposed his skin to the sun and made him appear to have a "scalded look." Scout continues to say the following:

"Mayella looked as if she tried to keep clean, and I was reminded of the row of red geraniums in the Ewell yard" (179).

The red geraniums could represent the fact that Mayella looked as red as her father did, due to sunburn or sensitivity to the sun; and/or that Mayella tried to make her home more beautiful.

Then Scout makes an interesting comparison as she is observing Mayella on the witness stand as follows:

"Apparently Mayella's recital had given her confidence, but it was not her father's brash kind: there was something stealthy about hers, like a steady-eyed cat with a twitchy tail" (181).

This is a good simile to use when describing Mayella. She's young, but she's not altogether dumb. She has a scripted role to play at this trial and she is doing it well. She's playing the "poor me" game like a professional with her eyes set on the goal, and she anxiously sits in her seat to accomplish it.

What does the behavioral model focus on more than the psychoanalytic and humanistic traditions?

Based on principles of learning and conditioning, the behavioral model has had an important and lasting impact on our understanding of psychopathology. The behavioral model focuses more on PRECISE MEASUREMENT than the psychoanalytic and humanistic approaches. 

The behavioral model emerged through the foundational work of Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner - and posits all behavior to be a response to environmental and social stimulus. Since the emphasis on learning is directed away from internal mental processes - it is only observable and measurable (bodily) acts that have analytical significance. Therefore, psychopathologies can be corrected with the two techniques: classical conditioning (where an existing response elicited by one stimulus is transferred to a new stimulus) and operant conditioning (where responses are strengthened or weakened through positive or negative reinforcement). Given the desire to isolate the effects of these particular techniques on learning, behavioralist methods favor laboratory settings which allow for greater control over variables, objectivity, and precision in measurements. 

How do the calories from a lipid compare to those from a protein?

A lipid is a fat. Fats are more energy-dense that proteins. Fats have 9 kilocalories (Calories) per gram, while proteins have 4 kilocalories per gram. Carbohydrates, which include starches and sugars, also have 4 kilocalories per gram. 

Fats are used for long-term storage of energy in the body, and also to insulate and protect organs.  Fats take longer to break down than carbohydrates, which are the body's main source of energy. Carbohydrates are broken down to provide glucose. 

Proteins are used mainly to build and repair tissue. Amino acids, which make up proteins, are only broken down for energy when the body doesn't have enough glucose or fat available. 

The energy in foods can be stated in kilocalories or Calories. When spelled with a capital C, Calorie refers to a kilocalorie which is equal to 1000 calories.

In the U.S. food labels use Calories and in Canada and Europe they use kilocalories. The quantity of energy is the same. 

In Gathering Blue, what did the Song of Ruin tell about and when can it be heard?

The Ruin Song chronicles the history of people and life on earth from the beginning to the present. Because most people in Kira's society are illiterate, the Ruin Song is the way the culture preserves and passes on its history. Once a year, at the Annual Gathering, all the people of the community assemble in the Council Edifice to listen as the official Singer chants and sings the song. The performance lasts the entire day.

The Ruin Song relates centuries of history. It speaks of the Ruin, an apocalyptic event in which skyscrapers tumbled, cracks appeared in the ground, and explosions and fire lit the sky. Jamison sings part of the song to Kira in chapter 18: "Burn, scourged world,/ Furious furnace,/ Inferno impure." He recites another section that begins "Ravaged all" and lists the names of ruined cities: Bogota, Baltimore, and Toronto. That section shows that large cities on the continents of North and South America were destroyed in the cataclysm.

The Ruin Song depicts what must have been a world war, possibly including the use of nuclear weapons, that destroyed the entire American society and resulted in the loss of technology for Kira's people.

What are the best and worst qualities about Montag in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury?

Guy Montag's best qualities include being sensitive, introspective, teachable, interested in learning, and tolerant of people who are considered different in his society. For example, as the book opens, Montag enjoys his job of burning books. When Montag meets and speaks with Clarisse, he becomes more self-aware as he ponders the unusual and anti-social things she says to him (28). Montag also becomes sensitive to people like Clarisse because she is different. He doesn't judge or criticize her. In fact, he appreciates her personality and seeks to understand her better.

Montag's desire to learn more about what he might be missing from life leads him to want to be taught. He seeks out Faber to teach him about how to understand books and comes away with a friend and ally (80). Montag's desire to learn also prompts him to desire a change in the way his society behaves toward life and people who are different. All of these qualities help him evolve into a free-thinking, self-aware, and concerned human being who values learning, love, and freedom.

As far as Montag's worst qualities are concerned, they include being impulsive, prone to outbursts, and easily provoked. While Montag is tolerant with one class of people (the misfits), he is not tolerant of those who follow society or those in authority. For example, Montag is impulsive when he spouts out poetry to some neighbor ladies, which makes one of them cry, and motivates them to report him to the authorities (100). Montag shows he is prone to outbursts when he starts screaming on the train because he can't hear himself think over the advertisements blaring over the loudspeakers (79). Finally, he is easily provoked to commit murder when his patience ends with Captain Beatty's taunting and verbal abuse (119). Captain Beatty is ruthless, deserves what he gets, and actually seems to want to die, but the fact that Montag goes through with the murder shows he has lost control of his senses.