What is a comparison/contrast between Myrtle Wilson and Daisy Buchanan from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby?

Although they are from entirely different socio-economic class and they differ in personalities, Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson do share certain interests, as well as some personality traits.

Similarities

• Both Daisy and Myrtle have relationships with Tom Buchanan, and neither really loves him. Their individual personalities are lost to social ambition.


• Both women are materialistic - Daisy marries Tom because he gives her a $350,000 pearl necklace; she buries her face in Gatsby's many shirts and exclaims, 
  

  "They're such beautiful shirts....It makes me sad because I've never seen such beautiful shirts before."

  
  
  Myrtle likes how Tom buys her a dog and fancy collar for it; with Tom she has lovely dresses that she changes into in New York and goes to places with him that she could never go with her husband George Wilson.


• Both women are concerned about their own self-interests - Daisy enjoys her tryst with Gatsby, but when he takes her affections seriously and confronts Tom, telling him, "She doesn't love you," Daisy backs down, telling Gatsby, "Oh, you want too much." For, she does not want to lose Tom's wealth and position.


• Both women are unrealistic - Myrtle thinks that the only reason Tom has not married her is because Daisy is Catholic as this faith does not recognize divorce (but Daisy is not Catholic). She argues with Tom in her effort to get him to marry her, believing he loves her, but Tom becomes angry and punches her in the nose. Daisy is unrealistic about her relationship with Gatsby, reveling only in his attentions and the excitement of their illicit relationship.


• Both women are selfish - Myrtle never considers the feelings of George when she goes with Tom to New York and various places. Daisy is not willing to leave Tom Buchanan for the love of Gatsby. Furthermore, she conspires with Tom to protect herself after hitting Myrtle. "Careless people," they let Gatsby take the blame for Myrtle's death.


• Both women are amoral - They are only concerned with the satisfaction of their own desires, and will do whatever satisfies these desires. 


• Both women are superficial - Daisy does not concern herself with the feelings of others, nor does Myrtle.

Differences

• Myrtle becomes a tragic figure as she tries to transform herself in Tom's world. Daisy, on the other hand, enraptures men with her "voice that sounds like money" and her diaphanous nature that makes her seem vulnerable. Later, she becomes heartless and self-serving after running over Myrtle.


• Daisy is jaded: "I've been everywhere...." One day she asks, "What will we do with the rest of our lives?" as she has become bored with living. Nick remarks, "I felt the basic insincerity of what she said." On the other hand, Myrtle exhibits "an immense vitality"; it is "as if the nerves of her body were smoldering."


• Daisy has some sophistication; Myrtle has none. Myrtle has the scandal magazines on her coffee tables; she speaks of things not talked about in certain circles.  

Ethan is observing chemical and physical properties of a substance. He heats a substance and observes that the substance turn from a brown solid to...

Chemical and physical properties of a substance are related to chemical and physical changes, respectively. For example, melting point is a physical property and melting is the related physical change.

A chemical change takes place when the chemical composition of the substance changes. It can be represented with the help of a chemical reaction. For example, during cellular respiration, glucose is broken down into water, carbon dioxide and energy molecules (ATP). This chemical reaction can be written as:

`C_6H_12O_6 + 6O_2 -> 6CO_2 + 6H_2O +ATP`

Chemical changes are, thus, accompanied by the formation of new compounds.

Physical changes do not cause any change in the chemical composition of a substance. In other words, no new substance is formed; only the state of the matter may change. However, at the molecular level, the same molecules are present before and after a physical change. For example, when we melt a piece of iron, it coverts to liquid iron; however, in both cases, the substance is still iron.

Ethan can best defend his conclusion by demonstrating that the chemical composition of the substance has changed during heating. In other words, he needs to show that the substance contains different molecules than it did before the heating. This would be his best defense for claiming a chemical reaction (or change).

Hope this helps. 

What are milk thistle's therapeutic uses?

Overview

The milk thistle plant commonly grows from two to seven feet in height, with spiny
leaves and reddish-purple, thistle-shaped flowers. It has also been called wild
artichoke, holy thistle, and Mary thistle. Native to Europe, milk thistle has a
long history of use as both a food and a medicine. At the turn of the twentieth
century, English gardeners grew milk thistle to use its leaves like lettuce (after
cutting off the spines), the stalks like asparagus, the roasted seeds like coffee,
and the roots (soaked overnight) like oyster plant. The seeds and leaves of milk
thistle were used for medicinal purposes as well, such as treating
jaundice and increasing breast milk production.

German researchers in the 1960s were sufficiently impressed with the history and
clinical effectiveness of milk thistle to begin examining it for active
constituents. In 1986, Germany’s Commission E approved an oral extract of milk
thistle as a treatment for liver disease. However, the evidence that it really
works remains incomplete and inconsistent.

Therapeutic Dosages

The standard dosage of milk thistle is 200 milligrams (mg) two to three times a day of an extract standardized to contain 70 percent silymarin. There is some evidence that silymarin bound to phosphatidylcholine may be better absorbed. This form should betaken at a dosage of 100 to 200 mg twice a day. Considering the severe nature of liver disease, a doctor’s supervision is essential. Also, milk thistle preparations that are designed for oral use should not be injected.

Therapeutic Uses

Based on the extensive folk use of milk thistle in cases of jaundice, European
medical researchers began to investigate its medicinal effects. It is currently
used to treat alcoholic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis,
liver poisoning, and viral hepatitis, as well as to protect
the liver in general from the effects of liver-toxic medications. However, despite
this wide usage, there is no definitive evidence that it is effective.

Standardized milk thistle extract is known as silymarin. Silymarin itself is a
mixture of at least seven chemicals. The most active of these chemicals is
commonly known as silibinin. However, silibinin too is, in fact, a mixture,
comprising the two related substances silibinin A and silibinin B. When injected
intravenously, silibinin is thought to act as an antidote to poisoning by the
deathcap mushroom, Amanita phalloides. Animal studies suggest
that milk thistle extracts can also protect against many other poisonous
substances, from toluene to the drug acetaminophen. One animal study
suggests that milk thistle can also protect against fetal damage caused by
alcohol.

Silibinin is hypothesized to function by displacing toxins that might bind to the liver, as well as by causing the liver to regenerate more quickly. It may also act as an antioxidant and also stabilize liver cell membranes.

In Europe, milk thistle is often added as extra protection when patients are given medications known to cause liver problems. However, milk thistle failed to prove effective for preventing liver inflammation caused by the Alzheimer’s drug Cognex (tacrine).

Milk thistle is also used in a vague condition known as minor hepatic
insufficiency, or sluggish liver. This term is mostly used by European physicians
and American naturopathic practitioners (conventional physicians in the
United States do not recognize it). Symptoms are supposed to include aching under
the ribs, fatigue, unhealthy skin appearance, general malaise, constipation,
premenstrual syndrome, chemical sensitivities, and allergies.

One small but apparently well-conducted, double-blind trial found evidence that milk thistle might improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes. Milk thistle may also offer some protection to the kidney. Highly preliminary evidence hints that milk thistle might help reduce breast cancer risk. Milk thistle is sometimes recommended for gallstones and psoriasis, but there is little to no evidence that it really helps these conditions.

In one small, placebo-controlled trial, the topical application of milk thistle
with methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) for one month appeared to be
effective in the treatment of forty-six subjects with the skin condition
rosacea.

A small preliminary study investigated whether milk thistle can help to relieve obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty-five adults with OCD were randomized to receive milk thistle (600 mg per day) or the medication fluoxetine (30 mg per day), which is commonly used to treat OCD. At the end of the eight-week trial, researchers did not find any significant differences between the two groups.

Scientific Evidence

As noted above, there is considerable evidence from studies in animals that milk thistle can protect the liver from numerous toxins. However, human studies of people suffering from various liver diseases have often yielded mixed results. A 2007 review of published and unpublished studies on milk thistle as a treatment for liver disease caused by alcohol or viral hepatitis concluded that benefits were seen only in low-quality trials, and even in those, milk thistle did not show more than a slight benefit.

Acute viral hepatitis. A twenty-one-day double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 57 people with acute viral hepatitis found significant improvements in the group receiving milk thistle. In another study, 105 people with acute hepatitis receiving milk thistle (140 mg, three times daily) showed modest improvement in some symptoms compared with those taking a placebo for four weeks. On the other hand, a thirty-five-day study of 151 individuals thought to have acute hepatitis found no benefit with milk thistle, but this study has been criticized for failing to document that the participants actually had acute hepatitis.

Chronic viral hepatitis. Inconsistent evidence exists regarding whether milk thistle is helpful for chronic viral hepatitis B or C. The herb does not appear to affect levels of virus in the body, but it might help protect the liver from damage and improve some symptoms.

Alcoholic hepatitis. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study performed in 1981 followed 106 Finnish soldiers with alcoholic liver disease over a period of four weeks. The treated group showed a significant decrease in elevated liver enzymes and improvement in liver histology (the microscopic structure of liver tissue), as evaluated by biopsy in 29 subjects.

Two similar studies provided essentially equivalent results. However, a three-month, randomized, double-blind study of 116 people showed little to no additional benefit, perhaps because most participants reduced their alcohol consumption and almost half stopped drinking entirely. Another study found no benefit in 72 patients followed for fifteen months. It is more effective for people with alcoholism to quit drinking than to continue drinking and take milk thistle.

Liver cirrhosis. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 170 people with alcoholic or nonalcoholic cirrhosis found that in the group treated with milk thistle, the four-year survival rate was 58 percent compared with only 38 percent in the placebo group. This difference was statistically significant.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 172 people with cirrhosis for four years also found reductions in mortality, but it just missed the conventional cutoff for statistical significance. A two-year double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 200 individuals with alcoholic cirrhosis found no reduction in mortality attributable to the use of milk thistle. However, in a analysis of nineteen randomized trials, researchers concluded that milk thistle was significantly more effective at reducing mortality from liver cirrhosis (mostly alcohol-related) compared with a placebo, but no more effective at reducing mortality from any cause.

Other double-blind studies of people with various forms of cirrhosis have looked at changes in tests of liver function rather than mortality. Some found benefit, while others did not.

Protection from medications that damage the liver. Numerous
medications can injure or inflame the liver. Preliminary evidence suggests that
milk thistle might protect against liver toxicity caused by drugs such as
acetaminophen, alcohol, phenothiazines, and phenytoin
(Dilantin). However, according to a twelve-week, double-blind study of 222 people,
milk thistle does not seem to prevent the liver inflammation caused by the
Alzheimer’s drug tacrine (Cognex).

Safety Issues

Milk thistle is believed to possess very little toxicity. Animal studies have not shown any negative effects even when high doses were administered over a long period of time. A study of 2,637 participants reported in 1992 showed a low incidence of side effects, limited mainly to mild gastrointestinal disturbance. However, on rare occasions severe abdominal discomfort may occur.

On the basis of its extensive use as a food, milk thistle is believed to be safe for pregnant or nursing women, and researchers have enrolled pregnant women in studies. However, safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, and individuals with severe renal disease has not been formally established.

Important Interactions

Milk thistle might have a protective function in persons taking medications that could damage the liver, such as acetaminophen, phenytoin (Dilantin), alcohol, and phenothiazines. One report has noted that silibinin can inhibit a bacterial enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which plays a role in the activity of certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives. This could theoretically reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.

Bibliography

Berardesca, E., et al. “Combined Effects of Silymarin and Methylsulfonylmethane in the Management of Rosacea: Clinical and Instrumental Evaluation.” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 7 (2008): 8-14.

El-Kamary, S. S., et al. “A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Silymarin on Symptoms, Signs and Biomarkers of Acute Hepatitis.” Phytomedicine 16, no. 5 (2009): 391-400.

Huseini, H. F., et al. “The Efficacy of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (Silymarin) in the Treatment of Type II Diabetes.” Phytotherapy Research 20, no. 12 (2006): 1036-1039.

Hutchinson, C., A. Bomford, and C. A. Geissler. “The Iron-Chelating Potential of Silybin in Patients with Hereditary Haemochromatosis.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 64, no. 10 (2010): 1239-1241.

Kroll, D. J., H. S. Shaw, and N. H. Oberlies. “Milk Thistle Nomenclature: Why It Matters in Cancer Research and Pharmacokinetic Studies.” Integrative Cancer Therapies 6 (2007): 110-119.

Rambaldi, A., B. Jacobs, and C. Gluud. “Milk Thistle for Alcoholic and/or Hepatitis B or C Virus Liver Diseases.” Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews 4 (2007): CD003620.

Saller, R., et al. “An Updated Systematic Review with Meta-analysis for the Clinical Evidence of Silymarin.” Forschende Komplementarmedizine 15 (2008): 9-20.

Sayyah, M., et al. “Comparison of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. with Fluoxetine in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 34, no. 2 (2010): 362-365.

Which of the following is the strongest electrolyte based on the information provided?

I concur with Justaguide. Among the given electrolytes HCl is the strongest.

Electrolyte is a type of conductor which conducts electricity either in the fused state or in solution. For example, NaCl can conduct electricity in the molten state as well as in solution. Solid NaCl is, however, a bad conductor, as the ions are arranged in fixed positions and hence are immobile. Ions are the current carriers in an electrolyte.

In the question, you are asked to compare the conductance of solutions to determine the relative strengths of the electrolytes. The conductance of a solution depends upon the number of ions in unit volume of the solution. The number of ions depends upon various factors like nature of the electrolyte, nature of the solvent, degree of ionization, ionic mobility etc.Degree of ionization of an electrolyte is the fraction of the total number of molecules of it in the ionized state. It depends upon the nature of the electrolyte. For a weak electrolyte, like ethanoic acid, the degree of ionization is small in concentrated solutions. Hence its conductance will be low at high concentration. On dilution, the degree of ionization increases. As a result more ions are produced and the conductance increases.

In the case of a strong electrolyte, like NaCl, which is composed of only Na+ and Cl- ions, the degree of ionization is unity. Even for such electrolytes, the conductance increases on dilution. This is because, according to the theory of strong electrolytes, in a concentrated solution of a strong electrolyte, the ions are close to each other and as a result the force of attraction between oppositely charged ions will be strong. Due to that the velocity of each kind of ion decreases. On dilution, the ions already present, move far apart, thereby decreasing the force of attraction between them. As a result the velocity of the ions increases.

The equivalent conductance of an electrolyte is the conductance of a solution containing one equivalent ( one gram equivalent) of the electrolyte.  Its unit is S m2 (Siemens metre2). Equivalent conductance of any electrolyte increases on dilution and attains a limiting value, called equivalent conductance at infinite dilution. On further dilution, the value does not change.

From the above discussion it will be clear that conductance (or equivalent conductance) of an electrolyte is a measure of its strength. The relative strengths of different electrolytes can be obtained from the equivalent conductances of their solutions in the same solvent at the same concentration. Here equimolar aqueous solutions are used at the same temperature. The equivalent conductances of NaOH, HF, HCl and KOH are 238, 96, 412 and 228 Sm2 respectively. Hence HCl is the strongest electrolyte among them.

The option ‘a’ is the correct one.

H+ is the fastest cation and OH- is the fastest anion. Velocity of H+ is almost twice that of OH-.  Na+, K+, Cl- and F- have almost similar ionic velocities. Their velocities are almost half that of OH-. Cl- is faster than F-.

Hence HF has a lower equivalent conductance than HCl.

In the book, The Great Gatsby, how are Wilson and Gatsby more similar than different (with textual evidence at least with the chapter they are...

Gatsby has created an entire persona based upon what he thinks will be an ideal husband for Daisy. His very identity is constructed to suit her. This is such a huge theme in the novel that it sometimes goes without saying. If we consider that Gatsby's "self" is created for another person, we might say that his "self" is not his own. In other words, the self/identity/persona that he has created is to fit a role or a type. And in Gatsby's mind, this role or type is designed to suit Daisy's wants and needs as well as the requirements of a position in her social circle. Gatsby does create himself for his own reasons, but his resulting self is designed for her. 

Wilson also lives for his wife. Even when he finds out that she's having an affair, he doesn't leave her. He intends to keep her as his wife and move west. Likewise, Gatsby is not deterred that Daisy is with another man (Tom). He still intends to take Daisy away from Tom. Wilson intends to take Myrtle away from Tom. In the end, Gatsby's dedication to Daisy is similar to George's dedication to Myrtle. In Chapter 7, Fitzgerald writes about George, saying "He was his wife’s man and not his own." 

What is the most common way to dispose of hazardous waste in the United States? What are the two dangers of this method of disposal?

The most common way to dispose of hazardous waste in the United States is land-filling. Although land-filling is a highly regulated disposal method, environmental problems stemming from chemical contaminants still persist, threatening the health and safety of the larger public.

Two of the problems of land-filling are hydrological and atmospheric in character. The atmospheric effects largely stem from the production of methane gas. Methane is considered to be twenty times more effective in trapping solar heat than carbon dioxide and can further exacerbate the greenhouse effect. Furthermore, landfills also introduce other toxic gases, dust, and chemical contaminants into the atmosphere, and this contributes to the deterioration of air quality in and around landfills.

The second danger of landfills is hydrological in character: despite EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations requiring landfills to include clay liners, groundwater barriers, and monitoring wells on location, toxic chemicals still leach into groundwater. These leachates pollute a wide variety of drinking water sources that the general public relies on. Wildlife in surrounding areas are also endangered by these drinking water sources, as the presence of TCE (trichloroethylene), a carcinogen, is a commonly reported substance in contaminated groundwater. As an example of its toxicity, just four drops in a twenty thousand gallon pool can prove fatal to humans and animals. TCE is mostly removed through evaporation in the atmosphere; however, when present in groundwater, evaporation becomes nearly impossible.

What are carbohydrates?

Digestion and Absorption

Dietary carbohydrates include monosaccharides, such as glucose, fructose, and lactose; disaccharides (two monosaccharides linked together), such as sucrose and lactose; and polysaccharides (many monosaccharides linked together in polymers), such as starches and fiber.

Starches are first broken down in the mouth by salivary alpha-amylase and then in the small intestine by alpha-amylases of both salivary and pancreatic origin. The resulting simpler sugars
are further digested by enzymes linked to the inner lining of the small intestine: maltase, sucrase, and trehalase, which yield absorbable monosaccharides. These sugars cross the cells lining the small intestine via specialized molecular transport mechanisms and then diffuse into the intestinal capillaries and reach the bloodstream.

Metabolism

In the body, the main role of carbohydrates is energy production and storage. Carbohydrates can also be joined to proteins (glycoproteins, for cell-cell interactions) or fatty acids (glycolipids, which provide energy and can be markers for cellular recognition).

The body converts most digestible carbohydrates into glucose, which is a universal energy source for cells. Excess glucose is stored as glycogen (glycogenesis), which can then be broken down (glycogenolysis) when energy is needed. Glucose is maintained at a constant level in the blood by the interplay of insulin, gulcagon, and other hormones.

Carbohydrate-related diseases are often genetic in nature, linked to inborn errors in enzymes or cellular transporters. Examples are galactosemia, glycogen storage diseases, and lactose intolerance. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by excessive blood glucose. Type 1 diabetes is caused by insulin deficiency; type 2 can be the result of insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion, and increased glucose production.

According to current recommendations, carbohydrates, preferably starches and natural sugars, should represent 40 to 60 percent of total calorie intake. Refined simple sugars provide calories but very little nutrition, and their intake should therefore be limited.

Perspective and Prospects

Food availability in developed countries has reached unprecedented levels, and the per capita consumption of carbohydrates, particularly in the form of refined sugars, increased dramatically in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Since the 1990s, the incidence of obesity has been climbing steadily, and so has the incidence of diabetes and related health problems. Current research in nutrition and carbohydrate metabolism is addressing the problem, which has reached epidemic proportions. Great progress is being made in dietary manipulations and drug development.

Bibliography

A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. "Carbohydrates." MedlinePlus, May 16, 2012.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Carbohydrates." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, December 11, 2012.

Mayo Clinic. "Carbohydrates: How Carbs Fit into a Healthy Diet." Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, February 8, 2011.

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. 10th ed. 20 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Sherwood, Lauralee. “The Digestive System.” In Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems. 7th ed. Pacific Grove, Calif.: Brooks, 2010.

Stanhope, K. L., and P. J. Havel. “Fructose Consumption: Considerations for Future Research on Its Effects on Adipose Distribution, Lipid Metabolism, and Insulin Sensitivity in Humans.” Journal of Nutrition 139, no. 6 (June, 2009): 1236S–41S.