Vegard Eldholm
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vehuardo.bsky.social
Vegard Eldholm
@vehuardo.bsky.social
370 followers 280 following 330 posts
Semi-informed molecular biologist & recovering football coach / Research Professor / Microbial Genomics / Evolution / AMR /
/ https://www.fhi.no / www.haploid.no
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Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Introgression impacts the evolution of bacteria, but species borders are rarely fuzzy www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs
Introgression impacts the evolution of bacteria, but species borders are rarely fuzzy - Nature Communications
It is commonly thought that bacterial species borders tend to be fuzzy, due to frequent exchange of DNA. Here, Diop et al. quantify the patterns of gene flow between core genomes across 50 major bacte...
www.nature.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
hansonmark.bsky.social
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:

a 🧵 1/n

Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
A table showing profit margins of major publishers. A snippet of text related to this table is below. 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. A figure detailing the drain on researcher time. 1. The four-fold drain 1.2 Time The number of papers published each year is growing faster than the scientific workforce, with the number of papers per researcher almost doubling between 1996 and 2022 (Figure 1A). This reflects the fact that publishers’ commercial desire to publish (sell) more material has aligned well with the competitive prestige culture in which publications help secure jobs, grants, promotions, and awards. To the extent that this growth is driven by a pressure for profit, rather than scholarly imperatives, it distorts the way researchers spend their time. The publishing system depends on unpaid reviewer labour, estimated to be over 130 million unpaid hours annually in 2020 alone (9). Researchers have complained about the demands of peer-review for decades, but the scale of the problem is now worse, with editors reporting widespread difficulties recruiting reviewers. The growth in publications involves not only the authors’ time, but that of academic editors and reviewers who are dealing with so many review demands. Even more seriously, the imperative to produce ever more articles reshapes the nature of scientific inquiry. Evidence across multiple fields shows that more papers result in ‘ossification’, not new ideas (10). It may seem paradoxical that more papers can slow progress until one considers how it affects researchers’ time. While rewards remain tied to volume, prestige, and impact of publications, researchers will be nudged away from riskier, local, interdisciplinary, and long-term work. The result is a treadmill of constant activity with limited progress whereas core scholarly practices – such as reading, reflecting and engaging with others’ contributions – is de-prioritized. What looks like productivity often masks intellectual exhaustion built on a demoralizing, narrowing scientific vision. A table of profit margins across industries. The section of text related to this table is below: 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. The costs of inaction are plain: wasted public funds, lost researcher time, compromised scientific integrity and eroded public trust. Today, the system rewards commercial publishers first, and science second. Without bold action from the funders we risk continuing to pour resources into a system that prioritizes profit over the advancement of scientific knowledge.
November 11, 2025 at 11:52 AM
vehuardo.bsky.social
No snakkar vi! Kanskje vi undervurderte AP og dette var planen heile vegen
November 12, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
acritschristoph.bsky.social
Very happy to share our recent work @cultivarium.bsky.social on genetic tools for Ideonella sakaiensis, a (Betaproteo-)bacterium that degrades PET plastic.

We identified a plasmid vector for the strain and generated a large RB-TnSeq library, screening for genes impacting plastic degradation.
Figure 2. PET screen results and RB-TnSeq gene fitness results
November 12, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
wvschaik.bsky.social
Heroic work by @bluebirdsjunk.bsky.social in pulling this mammoth study together

'Staphylococcus haemolyticus Population Genomics Provides Insights into Pathogenicity and Commensalism'

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Staphylococcus haemolyticus Population Genomics Provides Insights into Pathogenicity and Commensalism
Staphylococcus haemolyticus is a common commensal bacterium but also an opportunistic pathogen, frequently implicated in bacteraemia and sepsis in preterm neonates and immunocompromised patients. Desp...
www.biorxiv.org
November 11, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
euromaidanpress.bsky.social
The German Parliament's AfD lawmakers asked hundreds of detailed questions about Germany’s military and cyber systems.

Officials now suspect these were meant to expose weaknesses — one warned they looked like “a task list from the Kremlin.”
euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/06/d...
Der Spiegel: Germany’s AfD lawmakers suspected of feeding sensitive Bundeswehr data to Russian intelligence
CDU and SPD are demanding answers after the AfD submitted detailed and structured parliamentary requests, which officials say resemble coordinated intelligence-gathering.
euromaidanpress.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:08 PM
vehuardo.bsky.social
You can take East Germany out of the Soviet Union, but you can’t take Soviet out of East Germany. Apparently.

The anti-democratic illiberal tendencies of Germany East-of-Elbe is a recurring theme in ‘The shortest history of Germany’ by James Hawes.
www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...
November 6, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
sebagobert.bsky.social
Combien de supporteurs de Trump faut-il pour changer une ampoule?

Aucun.

Trump affirme juste qu’il l’a changé. Et tous s’en réjouissent dans le noir.
November 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
vehuardo.bsky.social
Why funding Ukraine is a giant opportunity for Europe
economist.com/leaders/2025...
Why funding Ukraine is a giant opportunity for Europe
The bill will be huge. It is also a historic bargain
economist.com
October 30, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
marikamikiashvili.bsky.social
“Fight before it is too late!” - a message to Europe by Georgia’s jailed political leaders Giorgi Vashadze, Zurab Girchi Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria.

The video was made for the ALDE Congress 2025.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=77A5...
October 28, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
noelreports.com
Zelensky said China is helping Russia, and he’s right. Satellite images show a sanctioned Russian LNG tanker transferring 170,000 m³ of gas to a Hong Kong-linked ship near Malaysia, days after Trump sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil. First documented case of China-linked help dodging US sanctions.
October 24, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
andersostlund.bsky.social
The savages attacked a kindergarten in Kharkiv today. For years, we asked how the atrocities during WWII could be allowed to happen. Now we know. "Defenders" of freedom and democracy lack the guts to stand up for them.
October 22, 2025 at 9:58 AM
vehuardo.bsky.social
Lol - det trur eg du har rett i 😂

Vi betalar altså godt for det produktet, men kven var det eigentleg som bestilte det?
October 20, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
adamkinzinger.substack.com
Witkoff is an embarrassment to our nation and humanity
militarynewsua.bsky.social 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 @militarynewsua.bsky.social · 26d
🥴🤡Trump envoy Witkoff pressed the Ukrainian delegation on handing over Donetsk region to Russia during a meeting on Friday, - WP.

He used the Kremlin's key argument that the region is predominantly Russian-speaking.
October 19, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
wvschaik.bsky.social
Remarkable increase in vancomycin resistance among clinical Enterococcus faecium isolates in Italy (from 11.5% in 2015 to 32.4% in 2023).

aricjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Temporal trend and individual and hospital characteristics associated to vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium bloodstream infections: a retrospective analysis from the national surveillance syste...
Background Several countries have reported an increase in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF), a pathogen classified by the WHO as a high-priority threat due to its role in healthcare-ass...
aricjournal.biomedcentral.com
October 18, 2025 at 7:54 PM
vehuardo.bsky.social
Again, the US talks as if this is a quarrel between equally culpable children - when it’s a total war by one party to erase the land, people and culture of the other.
maks23.bsky.social MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 27d
🇺🇸❗️🇺🇦 The US is growing weary of the war in Ukraine; the patience of Trump and the American people is wearing thin, says Leavitt.

According to her, the US President's talks first Putin and then with Zelensky were warm but frank. However the parties must "accept reality and reach an agreement."
October 18, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
blueskai.bsky.social
«Vest»
Skjermbilde fra Nordstrands Blad: Kronikk fra en i Krf, med kart hvor det er foreslått å dele inn Nordstrand i vest og sør.
October 17, 2025 at 6:41 AM
vehuardo.bsky.social
I staten er det satt eit lønnstak på 2.1 mill. Helseforetaka har derimot ikkje slikt, admir i Helse Sør-Øst tener f.eks. 3 mill. I Helse Nord får ein *kommunikasjonsdirektør* altså nesten 2 mill pluss 6 veker ferie og gratis bustad
October 13, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
masd.no
Me veit at det er ille, men konsekvensane er uklåre. Det tek tusenvis av år å danna naturlege korallrev nye stader. Den einaste planen ein har no, er å planta nye korallar som er meir motstandsdyktige mot varme.
Forskere slår alarm om tropiske korallrev
Verdens tropiske korallrev har nesten helt sikkert passert et kritisk punkt ettersom havene blir varmere enn hva de fleste av dem tåler, ifølge en ny rapport.
www.vg.no
October 13, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
thetnholler.bsky.social
CARTOON OF THE DAY

(From @jesseduquette.bsky.social )
October 12, 2025 at 12:29 PM
vehuardo.bsky.social
Someone please explain why these rural Americans, who I thought were all about being humble, hard-working, and showing your character through actions, overwhelmingly support a bloated self-obsessed, depraved, and spoiled baby-golfer
October 12, 2025 at 7:19 AM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
dougparr.bsky.social
“I think China is using [clean technology] in a very, very geopolitically savvy way, taking advantage of America’s stupidity and regression back into a petrostate. China just wins. America has abrogated the playing field.”

www.ft.com/content/013e...
The ‘profound’ global impact of China’s rise as an electrostate
The country’s companies now dominate many clean technology industries
www.ft.com
October 10, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
vatniksoup.bsky.social
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce American propagandist Alexandra Jost, aka “Sasha”. She’s best known for being paid by the Russian state to spread pro-Kremlin propaganda — and for doing it with a big smile.

1/23
October 10, 2025 at 11:05 AM
vehuardo.bsky.social
Hungary is the worlds first illiberal semi-autocratic solar-powered regime 🎉
nicolasfulghum.bsky.social Nicolas Fulghum @nicolasfulghum.bsky.social · Oct 7
NEW @ember-energy.org report out today | Renewables now produce more electricity than coal worldwide ⚡️

Renewables produced 5,072 TWh (34.4% share) in the first half of 2025 overtaking coal for the first time which stood at 4,896 TWh (33.1%.)
October 8, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Reposted by Vegard Eldholm
zauberberg.bsky.social
A7A5 was developed by A7, a company owned by Ilan Shor and the Russian state-owned lender Promsvyazbank, which was sanctioned by the UK, the EU and the US in 2022.
2/2
beefeaterfella.bsky.social Beefeater Fella @beefeaterfella.bsky.social · Oct 6
EU has proposed imposing sanctions on A7A5, a ruble-backed stablecoin tied to sanctioned Russian actors, - Bloomberg

The sanctions will prohibit any engagement by EU-based entities in transactions involving the token and target several banks for enabling crypto-related transactions.

1/2
October 7, 2025 at 5:11 AM