Frozen worm comes back to life after 46,000 years

It seems unthinkable that anything could live after tens of thousands of years in hibernation. The discovery of a tiny creature in the Siberian permafrost has sparked conversations about how resilient life can be.

In a recent breakthrough, researchers determined that a worm which had been frozen for about 46,000 years had survived and remained alive.

Dr. Philipp Schiffer, a group leader in the Institute of Zoology at the University of Cologne, and his colleagues, have been studying how this creature managed to survive well beyond its usual lifespan.

Siberia has vast stretches of permafrost, which is soil or sediment that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years.

The frozen ground can extend hundreds of feet below the surface in certain regions, with the cold temperatures preserving anything trapped within its layers.

Conditions in these areas can be challenging for people, but the permafrost forms perfect vaults for preserving animal remains. Thick ice and frigid temperatures keep organic material fresh enough to study thousands of years later.

The resurrected worm belongs to a genus known for its ability to enter cryptobiosis, which is a biological strategy where life appears to stop under cold conditions.

No major metabolic activity occurs in this state, and organisms can endure severe environmental conditions that would normally be lethal.

Biologists have documented cryptobiosis in other creatures, such as tardigrades and certain brine shrimp. The animals halt their usual body functions until they can return to an environment that can support growth and reproduction.

Experts identified the newly studied nematode as Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, a species not previously described in scientific literature.

Radiocarbon dating showed that the sample was tens of thousands of years old, indicating that this worm spent most of its existence in suspended animation under frozen sediment.

It was retrieved at a depth of about 40 yards (37 meters). This position helped it stay protected in that intense cold, and gave it a chance to be resurrected in modern laboratories, where it resumed normal activity and even produced offspring.

According to the researchers, nematodes of this variety usually live for only one or two months. The worm that reawakened in the lab outlived that window by tapping into cryptobiotic powers that are still under investigation.

Special molecules may stabilize cells in these worms, keeping them intact despite extreme dryness or temperature shifts. Similar molecules have been found in other organisms that are known to survive dehydration and freezing.

“No one had thought that this process could last millennia, 40,000 years, or even longer. It is simply amazing that life can begin again after so long, in the state between life and death,” said Dr. Schiffer.

The experts used genome sequencing to confirm that this worm was something different. Its lineage seems to share parts of the genetic toolkit for cryptobiosis with Caenorhabditis elegans, a nematode species that is commonly used in lab research.

Similar stasis has been observed in tardigrades, often called water bears. A 2017 NASA study noted their capacity to withstand harsh space conditions, suggesting these tiny beings have defense systems against extreme radiation and severe temperature swings.

Certain seeds can also remain viable for years in cold storage and then germinate when conditions improve. Yet the nematode’s frozen stretch lasted far longer than the typical lifetime for most preserved biological samples.

Scientists who focus on deserts, polar regions, and even other planets may look for parallels in cryptobiotic organisms. Environments like the Atacama Desert, known for its dryness, already harbor small life forms that have evolved impressive strategies to handle scarce moisture.

Conditions on Mars and icy moons around Saturn are less welcoming. However, knowledge of how simple creatures cheat time might lead to ideas about extraterrestrial survival or more efficient preservation methods for samples on Earth.

Cryptobiosis involves shutting down vital processes without losing structural integrity. Genetic pathways that enable such suspension might have applications in food preservation or even organ transplants.

If scientists isolate the genes that protect cells against freezing, future technologies could incorporate them into strategies for stabilizing delicate tissues. Biomedical researchers are always searching for ways to minimize damage from cold storage or dehydration.

The original specimen has died, but its offspring remain alive in controlled conditions. This provides more opportunities for tests on how these nematodes handle rehydration, changes in temperature, and prolonged hibernation.

Genetic comparisons with other species may shed light on whether these traits developed once in nematode history or evolved in multiple lineages separately. Either way, the results challenge the idea that living things cannot pause for millennia.

Experts see the next research steps involving experiments that identify proteins or sugars that replace water in the worm’s cells during dormancy. They could also investigate new forms of cryptobiosis in other deep-freeze environments, such as Antarctic glaciers.

Evolutionary biologists might expand research into older permafrost samples. If more ancient specimens are discovered, scientists may gain a better understanding of how life on Earth endures in these harsh and extreme conditions.

https://www.earth.com/news/frozen-worm-comes-back-to-life-after-46000-years/

University of Florida newsletter pulls mention of illegal alien scholarships after Campus Reform report

-The opportunities originally advertised included scholarships ‘specifically for undocumented students’ and others that are ‘open to all students, no matter their citizenship.’

-The scholarships are still available but are no longer advertised through the newsletter, following Campus Reform’s reporting.

The University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications has ceased advertising scholarships for illegal alien scholarships after Campus Reform reported on the school’s previously doing so in a newsletter.

On Jan. 31, the school sent an email newsletter of The Knight Division Digest, previously obtained by Campus Reform, that alerted students to different academic opportunities around campus. The featured opportunities included “Scholarships for Undocumented Students.”

The page for these scholarships, which is still online, advertised scholarships targeted “specifically for undocumented students” as well as others that are “open to all students, no matter their citizenship.”

Though the online webpage for the scholarships is still available, the school has ceased advertising these scholarships through The Knight Division Digest, as seen from a new Feb. 12 email obtained by Campus Reform.

The Florida legislature recently passed a bill that would stop illegal alien students from benefiting from in-state tuition.

The issue of illegal alien students has gained increasing attention in recent weeks amidst President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

Several schools have issued guidance to faculty and other employees alerting them to how to handle Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Fordham University, for example, recently issued such guidelines, calling on readers who deal with ICE agents to “[a]sk the law enforcement officer for their name, identification number and agency affiliation” and “[i]nform the officer that you are not obstructing their process but do not have the authority to release information without consulting the University administration.”

https://www.campusreform.org/article/university-florida-newsletter-pulls-mention-illegal-alien-scholarships-campus-reform-report/27546

Sen. Grassley Launches Inquiry Into UnitedHealth’s Medicare Billing Practices

Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty a letter demanding detailed information on the company’s Medicare billing practices Monday.

The letter—which cited findings from a series of Wall Street Journal articles published over the last year—said “the apparent fraud, waste, and abuse at issue is simply unacceptable and harms not only Medicare beneficiaries, but also the American taxpayer.”

A Journal data analysis found UnitedHealth was paid billions of dollars based on diagnoses the company added to patients’ Medicare records, even though their doctors hadn’t treated the conditions. Under Medicare Advantage, the private version of the federal program, the insurers that oversee patients’ benefits get bigger payments when people are diagnosed with certain illnesses.

The Iowa Republican demanded that UnitedHealth turn over training manuals and guidance documents around certain practices that, the Journal’s reporting showed, can lead to extra payments. Those included in-home visits by nurses working for the company as well as reviews of medical charts. He also requested details of UnitedHealth’s compliance program, audit results, lists of software used and other documents.

The Journal data analysis found Medicare Advantage insurers collectively received $50 billion in payments for insurer-driven diagnoses that weren’t listed in claims by any treating doctors or hospitals from 2019 to 2021.

The request comes as Republicans begin zeroing in on federal healthcare spending as a potential path to meeting President Trump’s pledge to cut the budget. Grassley gave the company a March 10 deadline to turn over the documents.

In a statement Tuesday, UnitedHealth said: “We welcome the opportunity to share the facts with Senator Grassley, especially given the ongoing misinformation campaign by” the Journal, adding that the company holds itself to the “highest ethical standards of quality and integrity in our practices.” The statement also said UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage plans deliver better health outcomes and lower costs, and that it performs well in audits.

After the Journal reported Friday that the Justice Department was investigating UnitedHealth’s Medicare billing practices, the company said “any suggestion that our practices are fraudulent is outrageous and false.” UnitedHealth shares dropped more than 7% that day.

With Republicans back in power in Washington, Wall Street had been signaling optimism that the Medicare Advantage companies might see improved margins, after a year when earnings were hurt by higher medical costs and Biden administration policies that reined in some industry billing practices. President Trump’s nominee to run the Medicare agency, Dr. Mehmet Oz, has been publicly supportive of Medicare Advantage, at one point writing that uninsured Americans should be covered through such plans.

Analysts said that last week’s sharp drop in UnitedHealth’s usually buoyant shares, along with dips in the stock prices of its major competitors, showed investors’ worry that the ride for Medicare managed-care companies might be bumpier than expected.

Shares of UnitedHealth remained about 7% below their Thursday close.

While Oz remains upbeat about Medicare Advantage, he has also repeatedly expressed concern behind the scenes about whether the companies are being overpaid based on diagnoses, according to people who have met with him.

A spokesman for Oz declined to comment.

The GOP-led Congress is attempting to cut billions of dollars in federal spending. Though Republicans have largely focused on Medicaid, they are running into disputes over the impact that deep cuts to the program for lower-income Americans could have on voters. Though President Trump has pledged not to cut Medicare benefits, some Republican lawmakers are eyeing insurers’ Medicare Advantage billing practices as a potential area for savings.

“We’re seeing such abuse to the system that nobody really can turn a blind eye to this,” said Rep. Greg Murphy, a North Carolina Republican, of Medicare Advantage. “In this environment, where we’re talking about accountability and cost savings, these abuses are definitely under the microscope.”

Murphy, a urologist, said he believed Medicare Advantage insurers’ practice of adding diagnoses to patients’ records is “immoral,” and could be a target for future legislative action.

He said Medicare Advantage payment arrangements that can reward medical providers who diagnose more conditions—another practice reported by the Journal—”needs to be outlawed.”

The Congressional Budget Office recently said a proposal to cut off payments for diagnoses detected only during home visits would save $124 billion over ten years.

UnitedHealth and other insurers have said their practices lead to more accurate diagnoses. They say additional revenue from such practices covers richer benefits and lower out-of-pocket costs for patients by helping reduce copays and premiums.

Last year, the House Ways and Means Committee began an inquiry into Medicare Advantage business practices. In letters to potential witnesses that cited the Journal’s findings, Rep. David Schweikert, an Arizona Republican who chairs the Ways and Means oversight subcommittee, requested information about insurers’ tactics.

“The alleged practice of private insurers taking advantage of the Medicare Advantage system for the benefit of their bottom line by misdiagnosing patients, sometimes without their doctors’ awareness, not only hurts the taxpayer by wasting resources, but it also betrays the trust of patients,” the letters said.

In an interview Tuesday, Schweikert said his team is examining overhauling the Medicare Advantage payment system. He said the goal is to “make the incentive that the way you gain profit is by making your population healthier,” rather than by adding more diagnoses.

“It is really complex politics,” Schweikert acknowledged. “This is almost impossible.”

https://archive.is/iMS4q#selection-5877.0-6001.86

Sen. Grassley Launches Inquiry Into UnitedHealth’s Medicare Billing Practices

Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty a letter demanding detailed information on the company’s Medicare billing practices Monday.

The letter—which cited findings from a series of Wall Street Journal articles published over the last year—said “the apparent fraud, waste, and abuse at issue is simply unacceptable and harms not only Medicare beneficiaries, but also the American taxpayer.”

A Journal data analysis found UnitedHealth was paid billions of dollars based on diagnoses the company added to patients’ Medicare records, even though their doctors hadn’t treated the conditions. Under Medicare Advantage, the private version of the federal program, the insurers that oversee patients’ benefits get bigger payments when people are diagnosed with certain illnesses.

The Iowa Republican demanded that UnitedHealth turn over training manuals and guidance documents around certain practices that, the Journal’s reporting showed, can lead to extra payments. Those included in-home visits by nurses working for the company as well as reviews of medical charts. He also requested details of UnitedHealth’s compliance program, audit results, lists of software used and other documents.

The Journal data analysis found Medicare Advantage insurers collectively received $50 billion in payments for insurer-driven diagnoses that weren’t listed in claims by any treating doctors or hospitals from 2019 to 2021.

The request comes as Republicans begin zeroing in on federal healthcare spending as a potential path to meeting President Trump’s pledge to cut the budget. Grassley gave the company a March 10 deadline to turn over the documents.

In a statement Tuesday, UnitedHealth said: “We welcome the opportunity to share the facts with Senator Grassley, especially given the ongoing misinformation campaign by” the Journal, adding that the company holds itself to the “highest ethical standards of quality and integrity in our practices.” The statement also said UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage plans deliver better health outcomes and lower costs, and that it performs well in audits.

After the Journal reported Friday that the Justice Department was investigating UnitedHealth’s Medicare billing practices, the company said “any suggestion that our practices are fraudulent is outrageous and false.” UnitedHealth shares dropped more than 7% that day.

With Republicans back in power in Washington, Wall Street had been signaling optimism that the Medicare Advantage companies might see improved margins, after a year when earnings were hurt by higher medical costs and Biden administration policies that reined in some industry billing practices. President Trump’s nominee to run the Medicare agency, Dr. Mehmet Oz, has been publicly supportive of Medicare Advantage, at one point writing that uninsured Americans should be covered through such plans.

Analysts said that last week’s sharp drop in UnitedHealth’s usually buoyant shares, along with dips in the stock prices of its major competitors, showed investors’ worry that the ride for Medicare managed-care companies might be bumpier than expected.

Shares of UnitedHealth remained about 7% below their Thursday close.

While Oz remains upbeat about Medicare Advantage, he has also repeatedly expressed concern behind the scenes about whether the companies are being overpaid based on diagnoses, according to people who have met with him.

A spokesman for Oz declined to comment.

The GOP-led Congress is attempting to cut billions of dollars in federal spending. Though Republicans have largely focused on Medicaid, they are running into disputes over the impact that deep cuts to the program for lower-income Americans could have on voters. Though President Trump has pledged not to cut Medicare benefits, some Republican lawmakers are eyeing insurers’ Medicare Advantage billing practices as a potential area for savings.

“We’re seeing such abuse to the system that nobody really can turn a blind eye to this,” said Rep. Greg Murphy, a North Carolina Republican, of Medicare Advantage. “In this environment, where we’re talking about accountability and cost savings, these abuses are definitely under the microscope.”

Murphy, a urologist, said he believed Medicare Advantage insurers’ practice of adding diagnoses to patients’ records is “immoral,” and could be a target for future legislative action.

He said Medicare Advantage payment arrangements that can reward medical providers who diagnose more conditions—another practice reported by the Journal—”needs to be outlawed.”

The Congressional Budget Office recently said a proposal to cut off payments for diagnoses detected only during home visits would save $124 billion over ten years.

UnitedHealth and other insurers have said their practices lead to more accurate diagnoses. They say additional revenue from such practices covers richer benefits and lower out-of-pocket costs for patients by helping reduce copays and premiums.

Last year, the House Ways and Means Committee began an inquiry into Medicare Advantage business practices. In letters to potential witnesses that cited the Journal’s findings, Rep. David Schweikert, an Arizona Republican who chairs the Ways and Means oversight subcommittee, requested information about insurers’ tactics.

“The alleged practice of private insurers taking advantage of the Medicare Advantage system for the benefit of their bottom line by misdiagnosing patients, sometimes without their doctors’ awareness, not only hurts the taxpayer by wasting resources, but it also betrays the trust of patients,” the letters said.

In an interview Tuesday, Schweikert said his team is examining overhauling the Medicare Advantage payment system. He said the goal is to “make the incentive that the way you gain profit is by making your population healthier,” rather than by adding more diagnoses.

“It is really complex politics,” Schweikert acknowledged. “This is almost impossible.”

https://archive.is/iMS4q#selection-5877.0-6001.86