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Resistin and adiponectin are two adipokines involved in the regulation of insulin sensitivity, and have been suggested as mediators of adult metabolic syndrome. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate cord blood levels of resistin, and their postnatal changes in full-term appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates. Interrelations between resistin, adiponectin, and insulin, and between resistin and neonatal and maternal anthropometric parameters were also assessed. Design Blood samples were obtained from 30 full term AGA neonates at birth and on the 4th day of life. Anthropometric variables studied included birth weight, length, body mass index (BMI), neonatal weight loss, and mother's BMI. Resistin and adiponectin were determined by ELISA, and insulin by radioimmunoassay method. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon test and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results Resistin levels were high at birth and did not change on the 4th day of life. Resistin levels were not correlated to insulin, nor adiponectin levels, nor any anthropometric parameter of neonates or their mothers. Instead, adiponectin levels increased on the 4th day of life, and were correlated to insulin levels. Conclusion High levels of resistin in full-term AGA neonates suggest that this hormone may play a role in maintenance of metabolic neonatal homeostasis, but its physiological significance needs further investigation.

The aim of this prospective study was to verify normal serum AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) levels in jaundiced breastfed infants with indirect hyperbilirubinemia.The study was conducted in clinically jaundiced breastfed infants, 20, or more, days old, referred to our outpatient ambulatory. Inclusion criteria were: birth at term after a physiologic pregnancy, with an Apgar score7 at 1 and 5 min, no evidence of congenital anomalies or diseases, direct bilirubin1 mg/dl, normal values of alpha-1-antitrypsin, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, thyroid stimulating hormone, triiodothyronine, tyroxine, and normal growth. 30 non-jaundiced breastfed infants age-weight-matched, were used as control group.98 jaundiced breastfed infants satisfied inclusion criteria. Their mean serum concentration of AFP was significantly higher than control infants (3548 vs 1095 ng/ml, p0.001). Serum AFP levels of jaundiced infants were directly associated with serum indirect bilirubin and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase concentrations.The most probable explanation of elevated AFP in jaundiced breastfed infants may be the presence in human milk of one or more factors which affect hepatocyte growth and/or function. Based on our finding we demonstrated that in jaundiced breastfed infants normal range of serum AFP levels are higher than previously published data for healthy infants. Our data can be useful for a right interpretation of AFP levels in breastfed infants with prolonged jaundiced and may be used to avoid unnecessary investigations.

Clustering financial time series is a recent topic of statistical literature with important fields of applications, in particular portfolio composition and risk evaluation. The risk is generally linked to the volatility of the asset, but its level of predictability also plays a basic role in investment decisions. In particular, the classification of a certain asset could be linked to its dependence on the volatility of a dominant market: movements in the volatility of the dominant market can provide similar movements in the volatility of the asset and its predictability would depend on the strength of this dependence. Working in a model based framework, we base the classification of the volatility of an asset not only on its volatility level, but also on the presence of spillover effects from a dominant market, such as the U.S. one, and on the similarity of the dynamics of the asset and the dominant market. The method is carried out using an extended version of the Multiplicative Error Model and is applied to a set of European assets.