An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890
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01.28.2020 Vol. 220 No. 084
TUESDAY
Study finds link between BMI and fluid intelligence
Ames animal adoption
BY LOGAN.METZGER @iowastatedaily.com
BY MORGAN.LAVIOLETTE @iowastatedaily.com
A new study from Iowa State researchers looked at the effects of body fat on the way people think. Iowa State researchers found that less muscle and more body fat may affect how flexible people’s thinking gets as they become older, and changes in parts of the immune system could be responsible. These findings could lead to new treatments that help maintain mental flexibility in aging adults with obesity, sedentary lifestyles or muscle loss that naturally happens with aging. The study, led by Auriel Willette, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition, and Brandon Klinedinst, doctorate student in neuroscience, looked at data from more than 4,000 middle-aged to older UK Biobank participants of men and women. The researchers examined direct measurements of lean muscle mass, abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat and how they were related to changes in fluid intelligence over six years. “Fluid intelligence involves being able to think and reason abstractly and solve problems,” according to verywellmind.com. “This ability is considered independent of learning, experience and education.” Willette and Klinedinst discovered that people who had higher amounts of fat in their mid-section had worse fluid intelligence as they got older. In contrast, greater muscle mass appeared to be a protective factor. These relationships stayed the same, even after taking into account chronological age, level of education and socioeconomic status. “Chronological age doesn’t seem to be a factor in fluid intelligence decreasing over time,” Willette said in a press release. “It appears to be biological age, which here, is the amount of fat and muscle.” The study also looked at whether or not changes in immune system activity could explain links between fat or muscle and fluid intelligence. Previous studies cited in this study have shown that people with a higher body mass index (BMI) have more immune system activity in their blood, which activates the immune system in the brain and causes problems with cognition. BMI only takes into account total body mass, so it has not been clear whether fat, muscle or both jump-start the immune system. For women in this study, the link between more abdominal fat and worse fluid intelligence was explained by changes in two types of white blood cells: lymphocytes and eosinophils. Lymphocytes are very important in the immune system, with T cells being responsible for directly killing many foreign invaders. B lymphocytes are responsible for humoral immunity.They produce the antibodies that “remember”an infection and stand ready in case your body should be exposed, according to verywellhealth.com. Eosinophils play an important role in fighting off bacteria and in responding to infections with parasites. They are perhaps best known for their role in allergy symptoms, when they essentially go overboard in mounting an immune response against something like pollen, which it mistakenly believes is an invader, according to verywellhealth.com. Basophils are important in mounting a non-specific immune response to pathogens. These cells are known for their role in asthma. When stimulated, these cells release histamine. The products can result in inflammation in the airways, according to verywellhealth.com. Generally, people begin to gain fat and lose lean muscle once they hit middle age, a trend that continues as they get older. To overcome this, implementing exercise routines to maintain lean muscle becomes more important. “If you eat alright and do at least brisk walking some of the time, it might help you with mentally staying quick on your feet,” Willette said in a press release.
Animal companions are a way for students to create a family away from home, and the Ames Animal Shelter allows them to find their perfect match. “Students generally make really good adopters because there is almost always someone home,” said Abbey Weimann, animal control clerk at the Ames Animal Shelter. “The nice thing about a lot of college students is that most everyone has a roommate or two, so the pet is never left alone for more than a couple of hours.” The Ames Animal S helter is a “no-kill” shelter, where over 97 percent of animals are given a home or returned to their original owners rather than being euthanized. “We believe no animal should ever be put to sleep for a lack of time, space, or resources,” according to the Ames Animal Shelter via the City of Ames website. To be a no-kill shelter, the Ames Animal shelter works closely with rescue organizations to find homes for animals that can’t live in
Adoption is simplified at Ames Animal Shelter
shelters to place them in foster care. They also provide a 24/7 lost-and-found pet reporting system through their website, so owners are able to find their missing companions. “We are able to do what we do because of donors,” Weimann said. “People who support us and what we’re doing are the reason we are a no-kill shelter.” Weimann encouraged those interested in rescuing animals to look into kill shelters and rescue animals that don’t have a fighting chance. “If you’re worried about a shelter being a kill shelter, find out more information about them,” Weimann said. “Figure out what programs they have implemented and see what they are doing to make things better. If they are trying to move toward being a no-kill shelter, then you should absolutely support them.”
Adoption at the Ames Animal Shelter is dependent on their compatibility with the animal and availability at home. They house a range of animals, from cats and dogs to snakes and hamsters. The shelter is able to take other types of animals, such as snakes, fish and exotic birds. Weimann stressed the importance of proper housing for reptiles and the complications that come with them, but they will accommodate for their needs to ensure they find a good home. The average length of stay for dogs at the shelter before being placed in their new home is 4.26 days, according to Ron Edwards, animal control supervisor. Cats stay for an average of 15.87 days, rabbits stay for 37.47 days and other smaller animals last for 2.17 days. The adoption process consists of a list of questions based on the prospective owner’s current living situation and what they are looking for in a pet. Depending on the animal of interest, questions vary for their specific needs. “Regardless of species, we always ask the most important question: ‘Do you want these to be indoor pets?’” Weimann said. “We don’t want our animals to be living outdoors. These are companion animals, and they are meant to
SHELTER
PG4
DESIGN BY MARIA ALBERS
Graduate and Professional Student Senate endorses renaming Dead Week to Prep Week BY JACOB.SMITH @iowastatedaily.com The Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) postponed voting on a new set of bylaws, had its first reading of the budget for fiscal year 2021 and passed a joint resolution with Student Government to endorsing renaming “Dead Week.” The joint resolution passed by GPSS endorsed renaming “Dead Week” to “Prep Week.” Sen. Kate Alucard from Student Government presented the bill. “The name ‘Dead Week’ does instill a little bit of anxiety and fear because it does not represent what actually goes on,” Alucard said. “[...] The name itself is a misnomer.” The bill passed by a vote of 49-4-6. Following, GPSS moved to postpone voting on a bill adopting new GPSS bylaws recommended by the Committee for
GPSS
PG3
CAITLIN YAMADA/ IOWA STATE DAILY Graduate and Professional Student Senate meeting Dec. 2, 2019, in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union. During Monday’s meeting, GPSS endorsed renaming Dead Week to Prep Week.