Restricted embryo growth 'predicts miscarriage risk' BBC

The study looked at the growth of embryos up to the age of 12 weeks old

The growth of an embryo during the early stages of pregnancy is linked to its risk of miscarriage, says a University of Nottingham study.

Scientists found that 78% of single-baby pregnancies which ended in miscarriage were in the smallest 5% of embryos.

Researchers measured the length of more than 500 single and twin embryos during the first trimester.

An expert said the study added to our knowledge of miscarriage risk.

The research was presented at the British Fertility Society annual meeting in Leeds.

The Nottingham researchers tracked the growth of 247 singleton and 264 twin embryos conceived through IVF, because this allowed them to know the embryos' precise gestational age.

For each embryo, the distance from top of the embryo's head to the bottom of its buttocks (the crown-rump length), was measured once during the first trimester using an ultrasound scan.

The pregnancy was then monitored until birth.

Poor growth

Using the measurements, the researchers discovered that poor growth in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy was a good predictor of miscarriage.

They calculated that 77.8% of single embryo pregnancies that miscarried were growth restricted, while 98.1% of single embryo pregnancies that did not miscarry were not growth restricted.

This was not the case in twin pregnancies, however, where only 28.6% of pregnancies that miscarried were growth restricted.

Ninety-eight per cent of twin pregnancies that did not miscarry were not growth restricted.

Dr Shyamaly Sur, who led the research, said the findings should help to identify pregnancies at risk of miscarriage.

"There are various reasons why some embryos show restricted growth in the early stages of pregnancy. It could be down to an abnormality in the foetus or something in the environment of the womb."

Underlying causes

"More research is now needed to investigate the relationship between growth and the underlying causes of miscarriage in more detail.

"We are focussing on how blood flow to the womb lining and embryo quality influence conception rates and subsequent miscarriage."

Dr Raj Mathur, consultant gynaecologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, said it was a very good study which made biological sense.

But he said there were other factors to consider when looking at miscarriage risk.

"We also need to consider the woman's health history, look at the picture of the whole woman.

"This study adds to our knowledge about risk but we also need to look at blood supply to the embryo and whatever genes are passed on from the father too."

The study also found that twin embryos grew at the same rate as single embryos during the first trimester, which was not expected.

"There is something else going on with twin embryos. We need more research in this area. It could be that twins grow normally and then miscarry."

Dr Sur said the research seemed to suggest that embryo growth patterns are similar in non-IVF pregnancies.

South Africa clinch series 2-1 despite Samaraweera ton

CAPE TOWN: South Africa beat Sri Lanka by ten wickets to clinch the series 2-1 on the fourth day of the third and final Test at Newlands on Friday, despite a fighting century by Thilan Samaraweera.

Samaraweera's 115 not out and some bold hitting by the tailenders enabled Sri Lanka to avoid an innings defeat.

They were bowled out for 342, leaving South Africa needing only two runs to win the match and the series.

The first delivery of the final innings was a no-ball by Dhammika Prasad which Alviro Petersen pushed past the bowler for the winning run.

Jacques Kallis finished off the Sri Lanka innings to claim bowling figures of three for 35.

He also equalled two South African Test records by taking four catches in the innings and six in the match after making a career-best 224 in South Africa's first innings.

Samaraweera and vice-captain Angelo Mathews put on 142 for the fifth wicket and prevented South Africa from taking a wicket before lunch.

But the introduction of the second new ball, which was taken one over before lunch, brought a breakthrough when Vernon Philander trapped Mathews leg before wicket for 63 in the fourth over after the interval with a ball which kept low.

Philander followed up by having Dinesh Chandimal caught at second slip by Jacques Kallis.

Samaraweera went to his second century of the series after batting for 283 minutes, facing 201 balls and hitting 13 fours.

He reached his hundred during a seventh wicket stand of 56 with Thisara Perera which was marked by some big hitting by Perera before the left-hander was caught in the deep by Morne Morkel off leg-spinner Imran Tahir for 30.

Kallis caught and bowled Rangana Herath before the last two batsmen, Dhammika Prasad and Chanaka Welegedera, both hit out effectively enough for Sri Lanka to avoid an innings defeat.

Welegedera hit Kallis for four and six off successive balls to take Sri Lanka one run ahead before he was comprehensively bowled by Kallis attempting another big hit.

It was South Africa's first series win at home since they beat Bangladesh in 2008-09. Since they had lost and drawn series against Australia and shared series with England and India.

South Africa won the first Test at Centurion by an innings and 81 runs but Sri Lanka hit back by winning the second Test by 208 runs. (AFP) 
AFP

US Navy rescues Iranians held hostage by pirates BBC

The Iranian vessel is believed to have been boarded by pirates several weeks agoThe US Navy has rescued 13 Iranian fishermen being held by pirates in the Arabian Sea, the Pentagon says.

The 13 were rescued on Thursday after a distress call was received from an Iranian fishing vessel which had been boarded by pirates over a month ago.

Fifteen suspected pirates were detained and are being held by the US Navy.

The rescue comes days after Iranian officials warned the US to keep the carrier group involved in the operation out of the Gulf.

The Iranians had been kept in harsh conditions and are thought to have been forced to assist the pirates in their operations, according to the Pentagon.

'Kindness and respect'

The freed hostages are now on their way back home, the US Navy said.

The hostages "had been through a lot", said Navy Criminal Investigative Service agent Josh Schminky.

"We went out of our way to treat the fishing crew with kindness and respect," he said.

The captain of the Al Molai, a fishing dhow, "expressed his sincere gratitude that we came to assist them. He was afraid that without our help, they could have been there for months," he added.

The rescue was carried out by forces assigned to the John C Stennis aircraft carrier group, which recently left the Gulf to assist US military operations in Afghanistan.

Earlier this week Iranian officials had warned the carrier not to the return to the region.

Tensions between Iran and the US have risen recently because of Western concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.

Faced with the prospect of fresh sanctions over the programme, Iran threatened to block the transport of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

It has also recently concluded a 10-day naval exercise near the Strait, test-firing several missiles.

US economy creates 200,000 jobs in December BBC

The rise was much more than expected. Analysts had forecast an increase of about 150,000 jobs.

The unemployment rate dropped to 8.5%, which was the lowest level in nearly three years, from a revised 8.7% in November, the Labor Department said.

Large job gains were seen in retail, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing and healthcare.

For 2011 as a whole, some 1.6 million jobs were created, which was the highest since 2006, led by rises in the private sector.

Employment in the private sector rose by 212,000 in December and by 1.9 million over the year.

Government employment was little changed in December but was down by 280,000 over the year.

The unemployment rate had remained stubbornly high at about 9% for several years, peaking at 10.1% in October 2009. But December marked the fourth month in a row that it had fallen, after routine updates were made to previous months' data at the end of the year.

However, November's figure was revised up slightly from 8.6% to 8.7%.

'Showboating'

The euro, which has fallen sharply against the dollar in recent days, continued its decline after the better-than-expected jobs report.

On Friday the euro fell under $1.27 for the first time since September 2010.

However, the jobs report failed to bolster Wall Street, with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 indexes opening down on continuing worries about the eurozone debt crisis.

But the fall in the unemployment rate will come as a welcome boost to President Obama who is bidding for re-election this year.

He said the report showed that the US economy was "moving in the right direction. We are creating jobs".

Marcus Bullus, trading director at MB Capital, said the data would "cheer everyone bar Republican spin doctors".

"The Obama administration could be forgiven for showboating over this convincing evidence that America's economy is pulling away from Europe's," he said.

But he added: "From a market perspective, strong US data like this will add to optimism, but nobody doubts the considerable downward pressure the eurozone will continue to place on the global marketplace during 2012."

Seasonal hiring

Some 28,000 jobs were created in retail in December, 23,000 in manufacturing, and 23,000 in healthcare.

The transportation and warehousing sector was boosted by a rise of 42,000 jobs in the couriers and messengers industry, although the Labor Department said that seasonal hiring had been particularly strong.

"At first glance, [it] looks like the trend is going in the right direction. The number might be suspect, but if we get a second month of hiring like this, that will suggest a stronger trend," said Frank Davis, director of sales and trading at LEK Securities in New York.

"But there's still a long way to go until the labour market is strong, and there's still a lot that could happen with Europe."

Michelle FleuryBBC business correspondent, New York

The figures reinforce the view that the US recovery gained momentum as 2011 drew to a close. It is also raising hopes for 2012.

More hiring, the thinking goes, will fuel enough spending to boost the economy. And if jobs continue to be created at this pace - while not reducing the unemployment rate drastically - it might change the political calculus this year.

Central to Republican efforts to dislodge President Obama from the White House is the claim that his policies cannot deliver jobs and growth.

Job creation of 200,000 each month might blunt that line of attack. Of course that relies on this trend continuing, something that is far from certain.

Iran nuclear crisis: EU moves towards crude oil ban BBC

The Iranian leadership insists the country's nuclear programme is entirely peacefulEU member states have agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian crude oil to put pressure on the country over its nuclear programme.

The move is expected to be announced formally at an EU foreign ministers' meeting at the end of January.

The US, which recently imposed fresh sanctions on Iran, welcomed the news.

Iran has dismissed the threat of new sanctions and denies Western claims that it is trying to develop a nuclear weapons programme.

Iran has also denied that a record low of its currency this week was linked to punitive US measures against its banks.

Oil prices on international markets rose on news of the EU agreement.

"We have an [EU] foreign ministers' meeting on January 30, and on this occasion I hope we will be able to take the decision on the embargo of oil and petrol from Iran", said French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe.

"We have to reassure some of our European partners who purchase Iranian oil. We have to provide them with alternative solutions", he added.

On Tuesday France had called for "stricter sanctions" on Iran.

However, even if sanctions are adopted at the end of the month, it may be several months before they are implemented.

'Tightening the noose'

"These are the kinds of steps that we would like to see not just from our close allies and partners in places like Europe but from countries around the world", said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

"We do believe that this is consistent with tightening the noose on Iran economically," she added.

The Iranian state gets more than half of its revenue through the export of crude oil, says the BBC's James Reynolds.

If Europe does stop buying, Iran will have to turn to countries in Asia to replace its lost trade, who will demand a discount, he adds.

The EU currently accounts for around 17% of Iranian oil exports.

The US has longstanding bilateral sanctions in place which prohibit almost all trade with Iran.

In November, the US, Canada and the UK announced new sanctions against Iran in the wake of a report from the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), that said Iran had carried out tests related to the "development of a nuclear device".

Last week President Obama signed into law a bill cutting off from the US financial system foreign firms that do business with Iran's central bank.

But Iran was not referred to the UN Security Council because Russia and China were opposed to the move.

The Security Council has already passed four rounds of sanctions against Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment. Highly enriched uranium can be processed into nuclear weapons.

These sanctions include a ban on the supply of heavy weaponry and nuclear-related technology to Iran, a block on Iranian arms exports, and an asset freeze on key individuals and companies.

Iran has been holding a series of naval exercises in the Gulf in recent days, test-firing several missiles.

The exercises were held near the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world's traded oil passes.

Tehran said on Monday that "mock" exercises on shutting the strait had been carried out, although there was no intention of closing it.