We report on a new type of correlated nanometer-scale pinning structure observed in a melt-processed (Nd0.33Eu0.38Gd0.28)Ba(2)Cu(3)O(y) (NEG-123). It consists of NEG/Ba-rich clusters in the stoichiometric NEG-123 matrix forming a lamellar array with a period of a few nanometers. These lamellas appear within regular twins, thus representing their fine substructure-sometimes straight, sometimes wavy. This new material structure correlates well with the significant enhancement of pinning at high fields, represented by irreversibility field above 14 T at 77 K (B parallel c). We believe that the new pinning medium enables one to significantly broaden the limits for high-field applications.

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To date, the routes of mother-to-infant transmission of TT virus (TTV) have not been fully elucidated. The present study examines the detection rates of TTV DNA in the serum of pregnant Japanese women and in cord blood at the time of delivery, as well as in the saliva and breast milk of mothers one-month postpartum. Primers derived from the well-known translated region N22 (N22 system), as well as the untranslated region (UTR system) were used. The prevalence of TTV DNA in the serum of pregnant women was found to be 11.9% (19/160) using the N22 system and 72.4% (55/76) using the UTR system. No TTV DNA was detected in the cord blood samples (0/160) when the N22 system was used for detection but TTV DNA was detected in 11.8% (7/76) of samples studied with the UTR system. Using the N22 system, TTV DNA was not detected in breast milk, but was detected in saliva. However using the UTR system, TTV DNA was detected in both specimens. These results imply that some babies are vertically infected with TTV via cord blood at the time of delivery or via breast milk or saliva. However, further research is necessary to confirm this hypothesis. polymerase chain reaction; pregnant women; horizontal route of transmission

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