The Common Instrument Middleware Architecture (CIMA) is being used as a core component of a portal based remote instrument access system being developed as an Australian e-Science project. The CIMA model is being enhanced to use federated Grid storage infrastructure (SRB), and the Kepler workflow system to, as much as possible, automate data management, and the facile extraction and generation of instrument and experimental metadata. The Personal Grid Library is introduced as a user friendly portlet interface to SRB data and metadata, and which supports customisable metadata schemas. An Instrument Instruction Module has been introduced as a CIMA plug-in for instrument control. A virtual instrument portlet provides a simulation of the instrument during a data collection. The system is being further augmented with a tool for collaborative data visualisation and evaluation.

Problem statement:The very long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (>18C) cannot be adequately synthesized by ruminant tissues to meet their requirements; therefore, their concentration in body depends on the supply through feed. It may be possible to improve the essential fatty acid status of ruminant animals, during gestation by manipulating the maternal diet with fishmeal (FM). The objectives of this research were to (1) determine the effect of fishmeal supplementation on the plasma fatty acid profile of ewes during late gestation and (2) determine the status of the plasma docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3) of lambs born to these ewes. Approach: Eight gestating ewes [RideauArcott, 97±5 kg initial body weight, 100 days of gestation] were used in a completely randomized design. Ewes were individually-housed and fed either a control diet (supplemented with soybean meal) or a fishmeal supplemented diet. Blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture for plasma fatty acids analysis on 100, 114, 128 and 142 days of gestation after morning feeding. Blood samples from the lambs were also collected via jugular venipuncture immediately after birth and before receiving their mothers' colostrum. Plasma fatty acids were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography.

This paper details the design ofa closed-loop insulin delivery device, consisting of a glucose sensing circuit, and a basic microprocessor-based syringe pump. The glucose sensing circuit contains the required components to interface with CGMS's glucose sensor assembly, while the syringe pump design uses microprocessor to allow flexible control over the pump driver Instrumentation developed in this paper provides a ready reference to other researchers on the construction of a closed-loop insulin delivery apparatus with amperometric glucose sensor