From the article: A recent online survey explored how sexual desire changes with age and found that it is the highest between 30 and 40 in both men and women. It was noticeably lower only in respondents over 60 years of age. Men reported higher levels of sexual desire than women on average. The study was published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Sexual desire is the experience of sexual thoughts, fantasies, and the motivation to engage in sexual activities. It is positively associated with well-being. Previous studies have suggested that sexual desire decreases with age, but assumptions about the specific age when sexual desire is highest differ. Studies have also shown substantial individual variability in the level of sexual desire.

Due to this, the study of factors predicting sexual desire has attracted a lot of research interest. Sexual desire can be dyadic (desire for sexual activity with a partner) or solitary (desire for solitary sexual activity such a masturbation).

For their study, Larissa L. Wierczorek from the University of Hamburg and her colleagues analyzed a part of the data from an online survey of social attitudes and personality in order to examine the relationship between sexual desire, age, masculinity, and attractiveness. The study sample consisted of 8,150 participants between 15 and 80 years of age, but predominantly very young, who were recruited via a number of social media platforms in the eleven-year period between 2007 and 2018.

Participants were predominantly females (67.88%) and 72.17% identified as heterosexual. Data analyzed in this study included self-assessments of two types of dyadic sexual desire – towards one’s partner, towards an “attractive person” and towards themselves (Sexual Desire Inventory-2, SDI-2) as well as an overall assessment of sexual desire and self-ratings of own masculinity, attractiveness and health (participants rated how masculine/attractive/healthy they believe they are on a 7-point scale).

From the article: Facebook’s promise to advertisers is that its system is smart, effective, and easy to use. You upload your ads, fill out a few details, and Facebook’s algorithm does its magic, wading through millions of people to find the perfect audience.

The inner workings of that algorithm are opaque, even to people who work at Meta, Facebook’s parent company. But outside research sometimes offers a glimpse. A new study published Tuesday in the Association for Computer Machinery’s Digital Library journal finds that Facebook uses image recognition software to classify the race, gender, and age of the people pictured in advertisements, and that determination plays a huge role in who sees the ads. Researchers found that more ads with young women get shown to men over 55; that women see more ads with children; and that Black people see more ads with Black people in them.

From the article: Women who use anabolic steroids tend to exhibit heightened levels of psychopathology, such as depression and antisocial traits, according to new findings published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

“We were interested in this topic because very little is known about women who take anabolic steroids, and most studies tend to focus on the visible effects of these substances, rather than on the potential psychiatric effects or traits that make women prone to start using steroids,” explained study author Morgan Scarth, a PhD student at the Oslo University Hospital. “This is a result of stigma and perceived low prevalence of anabolic steroid use among females, and we wanted to know more about these women and their mental health.”

The study included 32 female weight-lifting athletes from Norway, who were recruited via social media, web forums, and flyers. Six participants indicated that they were currently using anabolic steroids, while 10 women were previous consumers. The researchers collected urine samples to confirm steroid use. The most commonly used steroids were Anavar (oxandrolone), clenbuterol, Winstrol (stanozolol) and Primobolan (metenolone).

The women completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III, a scientifically validated questionnaire designed to assess 14 personality disorders (such as narcissism) and 10 clinical syndromes (such as anxiety and bipolar disorder). The participants also provided information regarding their weight-lifting training and records along with health-related information and previous pharmacological treatment for medical or psychiatric conditions.

Compared to those who had never used anabolic steroids, women who had used or were currently using anabolic steroids showed elevated levels of anxiety, somatic symptom disorder, bipolar disorder, dysthymia, alcohol dependence, drug dependence, PTSD, thought disorder, major depression, and delusional disorder. Women who had used or were currently using steroids also scored significantly higher on measures of depressive, antisocial, sadistic, negativistic, masochistic/self-defeating, and borderline personality disorders.

From the article: Scientists are searching far and wide for new tools in the battle against rising obesity rates, and lately a promising candidate has emerged from piles of purified sand. A new study has bolstered the potential of silica particles made from this material by showing how they block enzyme activity to hamper the body’s uptake of fats and sugars, while also hinting at the ideal design for the optimal anti-obesity effects.

The research was carried out by scientists at the University of South Australia, and builds on earlier work exploring how engineered silica particles can impact the way the body absorbs energy from high-fat foods. Previous studies have shown mesoporous silica particles can drive weight loss in obese mice when added to their diet, and can be safely tolerated in male humans as a food additive. One 2020 paper also hinted at the best shape and size of particle to induce anti-obesity effects.

“Porous silica has received increasing attention for its anti-obesity potential, with human trials showing it is a safe therapy,” said lead researcher Paul Joyce. “However, exactly how it works has eluded researchers – until now. Our research shows how porous silica promotes an anti-obesity effect by functioning locally in the gut to restrict fat and carbohydrate digestion and absorption. Importantly, the gentle mechanism is expected to deliver clinically effective outcomes for weight loss, without adverse effects.”