Donne al lavoro nel medioevo: la situazione italiana

The traditional opinion considered female labour in medieval age low paid work restricted to textile and feeding fields only and generally dependent on husband’s work, outside of guilds.On the contrary, a considerable body of evidence resulting from researches on Italian and European documents of XIII century up to the end of XV century, shows that during XIII, XIV and XV centuries in several European countries female work was employed in almost all fields of activity, including buildings, mines, salt processing.  Women’s wages were proportional to their real capacity and were not conditioned by gender.In many cases women succeeded in supporting the whole family (or discharging their husband’s debts) by their own work. Moreover some women sold their dresses and jewels to obtain capitals in order to establish a firm. Noblewomen were involved in very different jobs as embroidery workshops organization, mines and reclamation management, dairy establishment, hotel management.Women showed a remarkable ability in work organization in spite of the enormous variety of their tasks and they preferred to be outside of guilds; on the other hand guilds tolerated this type of black work but tried to compel women to be registered when a special control was needed.Female apprenticeship was often informal but in particular cases it was displaied when workers needed to demonstrate their ability in some jobs such as precious raw materials manufacture.  In other cases guilds obliged women to stipulate a written apprenticeship contract, particularly in public health fields, for example to knead bread

Melatonin Membrane Receptors in Peripheral Tissues: Distribution and Functions

Many of melatonin’s actions are mediated through interaction with the G-protein coupled membrane bound melatonin receptors type 1 and type 2 (MT1 and MT2, respectively) or, indirectly with nuclear orphan receptors from the RORα/RZR family. Melatonin also binds to the quinone reductase II enzyme, previously defined the MT3 receptor. Melatonin receptors are widely distributed in the body; herein we summarize their expression and actions in non-neural tissues. Several controversies still exist regarding, for example, whether melatonin binds the RORα/RZR family. Studies of the peripheral distribution of melatonin receptors are important since they are attractive targets for immunomodulation, regulation of endocrine, reproductive and cardiovascular functions, modulation of skin pigmentation, hair growth, cancerogenesis, and aging. Melatonin receptor agonists and antagonists have an exciting future since they could define multiple mechanisms by which melatonin modulates the complexity of such a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes

Artigiani, imprenditori, mercanti: organizzazione del lavoro e conflitti sociali nella Milano sforzesca (1450-1476)

Dottorato di ricerca in storia medioevale. 7. ciclo. A.a. 1991-94. Coordinatore e tutore G. Soldi RondininiConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - P.za Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Effects of chronic heroin addiction on pituitary-thyroid function in man

Pituitary-thyroid function has been studied in heroin addicts. Data have been obtained in 10 male addicts, aged 18-24 years, with histories of addiction to heroin alone lasting from 8 months to 4 years, and in 9 controls matched for sex and age. Basal plasma levels of TSH, T4 and T3 were measured. A TRH stimulation test was done, injecting 500 micrograms of TRH iv as a bolus and assaying TSH levels before the injection and at 30 min intervals up to 2 h afterwards. The results revealed no difference between addicts and controls in basal levels of TSH, T4 and T3. The TRH stimulation test induced a blunted TSH rise in 50% of the cases. The possible mechanism of action of heroin on pituitary-thyroid axis is discussed