The Inter-divisional Committee on Nomenclature and Symbols of IUPAC reports that a new standard for the kilogram is being  pursued by direct measurement of the Avogadro constant and by indirect measurement of the electron rest mass.

The IUPAC Analytical Chemistry Division has a new project on biotests for the determination of toxicity in aquatic systems and the commission on Radiology has a document on 'Critical Evaluation of the Use and Analysis of Stable Isotopes'.

The Lexicon for Lipid Nutrition sponsored by IUNS and IUPAC is in press at the American Oil Chemists' Society. The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology promote their recommendations through the Web site

http://www.chem.qmw.ac.uk/iupac/jcbn/

and provide the means to search by specific items. The enzyme list is available at

http://www.chem.qmw.ac.uk/iubmb/enzyme/

The reporting of dates is to be: year in four digits- month in two digits- day in two digits.

Joyce Beare-Rogers