The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of lymph node ratio (LNR) in women with 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIIC cervical cancer. In this retrospective dual-institutional study, a total of 185 node-positive cervical cancer patients who had undergone radical hysterectomy with systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy were included. All of the patients received adjuvant chemoradiation after surgery. LNR was defined as the ratio of positive lymph nodes (LNs) to the total number of LNs removed. The patients were categorized into 2 groups according to LNR; LNR <0.05 and LNR ≥0.05. The prognostic value of LNR was evaluated with univariate log-rank tests and multivariate Cox regression models. A total of 138 patients (74.6%) had stage IIIC1 disease and 47 (25.4%) patients had stage IIIC2 disease. With a median follow-up period of 45.5 months (range 3-135 months), the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 62.5% whereas the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 70.4% for the entire study population. The 5-year DFS rates for LNR <0.05 and LNR ≥0.05 were 78.2%, and 48.4%, respectively (p<0.001). Additionally, the 5-year OS rates for LNR <0.05 and LNR ≥0.05 were 80.6%, and 61.2%, respectively (p=0.007). On multivariate analysis, LNR ≥0.05 was associated with a worse DFS (hazard ratio [HR]=2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.15-3.90; p=0.015) and OS (HR=1.95; 95% CI=1.01-3.77; p=0.046) in women with stage IIIC cervical cancer. LNR ≥0.05 seems to be an independent prognostic factor for decreased DFS and OS in stage IIIC cervical carcinoma.

Na⁺-Ca²⁺ exchanger is one of the major sarcolemmal Ca²⁺ transporters of cardiac myocytes. In frog ventricular myocytes the exchanger is regulated by isoproterenol via a β-adrenoreceptor/adenylate-cyclase/cAMPdependent signaling pathway providing a molecular mechanism for the relaxant effect of the hormone. Here, we report on the presence of a novel exon of 27-base pair insertion, which generates a nucleotide binding motif (P-loop) in the frog cardiac Na⁺-Ca²⁺ exchanger. To examine the functional role of this motif, we constructed a full-length frog heart Na⁺-Ca²⁺ exchanger cDNA (fNCX1a) containing this exon. The functional expression of fNCX1a in oocytes showed characteristic voltage dependence, divalent (Ni²⁺, Cd²⁺) inhibition, and sensitivity to cAMP in a manner similar to that of native exchanger in frog myocytes. In oocytes expressing the dog heart NCX1 or the frog mutant (ΔfNCX1a) lacking the 9-amino acid exon, cAMP failed to regulate Na⁺-dependent Ca²⁺ uptake. We suggest that this motif is responsible for the observed cAMP-dependent functional differences between the frog and the mammalian hearts.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between placental localisation and perinatal outcomes. This study was performed in a tertiary centre hospital by retrospectively analysing the medical records of patients who were followed up and underwent delivery in the same hospital. The patients were divided into two groups according to the placental locations (central and lateral) in their routine sonographic findings between the 18 and 24 weeks' gestation. Out of 1,057 patients, 87.4% (n = 919) had centrally located placentas and 12.6% (n = 133) had laterally located placentas. Preeclampsia was found to be significantly higher in the lateral placental location group (4.5% vs. 1.6%; p = 0.027). There was a significant correlation with foetal growth restriction (FGR), preterm birth rates, low Apgar scores and need for neonatal intensive care unit in the lateral placental location group (p < 0.05). The pregnant women with laterally located placentas should be followed up promptly with special care for the risk of preeclampsia and FGR, and poor neonatal outcomes.