Assessment of Centro Ambiental Santa Ana

This project is sponsored by the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs offered at Centro Ambiental Santa Ana (Santa Ana Environmental Center, C.A.S.A.) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The goal of this project was to collect data on the educational programs at C.A.S.A. by performing a comprehensive assessment through, individual interviews, pre- and post-tests, pre- and post-surveys, student evaluations and teacher evaluations. The qualitative and quantitative data was used to recommend a standard education program that can be set as the basis for C.A.S.A. This outcome should fulfill the mission statement and vision of the Center

Design of a Biaxial Device for Measuring Cell Contractile Forces

Determining the contractile forces present in three dimensional model systems of wound healing will further our understanding of how healthy tissue repair and remodeling differs from conditions such as hypertrophic scarring, chronic ulcers, and edema. Previous researchers have quantified both the active cellular contractile forces and matrix contribution to tissue contraction under uniaxial loading. A new model is needed to determine forces as they occur naturally in tissue that is loaded multiaxially. In this paper we present the design of a computer controlled biaxial contractile force culture monitor