Volume 11, Issue 1, 2023

Hygiene and antibiotic use are important levers in the work to limit resistance evolution. We study how they interact, and find that hygiene can attenuate the effect of antibiotic pressure on the rate of evolution.

This study investigates how COVID-19 impacted environmental adversity, psychological distress, and diet for a population of economically vulnerable students. Mental distress and perceptions of mortality risk were associated with food insecurity, while mental distress negatively impacted diet. We identify factors that may help vulnerable students.

Testosterone plays a key role in regulating health and development, particularly for males. Numerous health problems, such as infections and chronic diseases—like diabetes and cancer— have been linked to decreases in testosterone levels. Several studies have also identified relationships between low testosterone levels and higher risk of death in men. While low testosterone could cause increases in men’s mortality risk, it is also possible that low testosterone levels may just be a sign of poor health. Men with illness or disease are expected to have both low testosterone levels and higher risk of death. The current research examined relationships between testosterone levels and risk of mortality from several causes of death in 10 255 men. Results revealed that for most mortality categories, including heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease (such as strokes), influenza and pneumonia, and Alzheimer’s disease, lower testosterone levels were associated with higher risk of death, particularly among older men. That low testosterone is related to mortality risk from many unique diseases may indicate that low levels of this hormone reflect poor general health. However, additional research is needed to determine whether testosterone levels directly contribute to, or are just a sign of, disease and mortality risk in men.