Sunday, November 29, 2009

Culmination Activity: Chemical Product (Medication: Tylenol)


The reasons for use of Tylenol is to: relief pain, reduce fever, and relieve the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, and flu. The substance used in Tylenol; acetaminophen was first used in medicine in 1894. Acetaminophen only gained widespread in 1948 when scientists concluded that another popular drug, acetanilide was toxic and the same use could be found in Acetaminophen and would be safer. 

Tylenol remains a top seller, controlling about 35% of the pain killer market in North America, yet acetaminophen overdose is responsible for more ER visits than any other medicine on the market. On September 29, 1982 a “Tylenol Scare” began with seven individuals died in Chicago after taking Extra Strength Tylenol that had been tampered with and contaminated with Cyanide. Tylenol sales collapsed but several years later the brand was rebuilt and recovered in a few years. This led to the creation of the “Tamper proof capsule”, also known as Tylenol Gelcaps.

Some dangers of Tylenol is Acetaminophen causes three times as many cases of liver failure as all other drugs combined, and is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States, accounting for 39% of cases.

When used appropriately, side effects with acetaminophen are rare. The most serious side effect is liver damage due to large doses, chronic use or concomitant use with alcohol or other drugs that also damage the liver. Chronic alcohol use may also increase the risk of stomach bleeding.


  

In 1955 McNeil Laboratories introduced Tylenol Elixir for children, which contained paracetamol as its sole active ingredient. It was originally made for children, but soon came to dominate the North American pain-killer market. There are a number of different varieties of Tylenol available today including extra-strength (with 500 milligrams of acetaminophen), children's doses, longer-lasting, and sleep aiding (in combination with diphenhydramine). In 2005 Tylenol Ultra was introduced in Canada, with 500 mg of acetaminophen and 65 mg of caffeine; caffeine has vasoconstricting effects, for which there is some disputed evidence for additional effectiveness. The patent on paracetamol has long expired, and the continued successes of Tylenol brand preparations are largely due to marketing, the backing of Johnson & Johnson, and new patented delivery mechanisms such as quick-release and extended-release forms of the medication.

The chemical formula for this is C8H9NO2 

For more information visit... http://www.medicinenet.com/acetaminophen/article.htm


Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylenolhttp://

www.marketresearchworld.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=751&Itemid=

http://www.medicinenet.com/acetaminophen/article.htm

Nov 24: 30min

Nov 25: 0min

Nov 26: 45min

Nov 27: 30min

Nov 28: 1hr

By: Michael Moreira

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Waste Management

Solid Waste Management Services handles the transfer and disposal of your garbage as well as the processing and sale of recyclable materials collected through the blue box program. Solid Waste Management Services also coordinates a variety of 3Rs programs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) to help residents and business reduce their production of waste.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Lorax Vs Truax

The Lorax and Truax stories are both about the enviornment and how the trees are important to us.

Trees are important to us becuase trees can be made into objects such as ; furniture and other necessities. Trees also provide clean air for both animals and humans, trees are also home to some animals and insects. The lorax talks about a character by the name of the Once-ler and how he cuts trees and creates thneeds. Eventually he runs out of trees to cut and can no longer make thneeds, and then their are no trees left. In the story "The Lorax" the Lorax is the defender of the trees and he warns the Once-Ler about what is going to happen to all the trees if he keeps cutting them down. Of course the Lorax does not listen and destroys all the trees. The Truax is a story about an axeman who cuts trees but also plants them as he goes about cutting. For every one tree he cuts, he plants five new seeds. The axeman knows and cares about the trees and makes the Guardbark protector of trees in "The Truax" story, convinced that he and all his friends are doing good for the trees and the animals and insects. The axeman talks about how cutting down the trees makes some critters leave but, it also brings new critters to live their, and "Green house gases are sequestered by young growing trees then older trees."

I think that the Truax is a better example to follow because in the "The Truax" the axeman cuts down one tree and plants five, that way he is not harming the trees instead planting more and thats a good way to go about cutting trees, becuase this way future generations will still have the trees around and if everyone follows this example, trees will be around for along time to come, which is good for us and our environment. As in "The Lorax" the Once-Ler depletes all the trees and their are none left for him to cut and make thneeds. Just like the Lorax warned him about. So as the best example to follow it is definetly "The Truax."