Latest news with #JohnDunne
Agriland
14-06-2025
- Science
- Agriland
The potential impact of yellow rust disease on Irish wheat production
The threat posed by yellow rust disease to Irish wheat crops has been characterised as both complex and evolving by Goldcrop cereal variety manager, John Dunne. He explained: 'Up to this point, yellow rust has been a disease with a very clear geographic footprint in Ireland. It impacts, for the most part, on crops grown along the eastern seaboard. 'And there is a very clear rational for this. The attacking fungus prefers regions that are slightly cooler with relatively higher humidity levels. 'In addition, crops grown on these coasts are more predisposed to windborne fungal spores coming across the Irish Sea form Great Britain. 'If sand can be carried by prevailing winds from the North Africa to Ireland then the challenge of fungal spores making their way across the Irish Sea can be put into perspective very easily.' Higher relative temperatures recorded over seven of the last eight months can also partly explain the rise in the threat posed by yellow rust to Irish wheat crops in 2025. Dunne said: 'I have been monitoring three weather Irish stations since last October, and the data generated clearly shows that – January apart – monthly temperatures have been on the rise, year-on-year. 'This set of circumstances has facilitated yellow rust. And it has also increased the Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) threat impacting on cereal crops.' Yellow rust-resistant genes Adding to all of this has been the confirmed breakdown of the Yr15 gene, which up to this point had been delivering a high degree of protection against yellow rust in a number of winter wheat varieties. The issue was first identified by Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) scientists in north-east England earlier this year. Dunne said he has been monitoring that 'fast-evolving situation' ever since, as Goldcrop grows a number of new crop varieties for AHDB at its Irish trial sites 'We now know that the issue of the Yr15 gene breakdown is now a reality in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, and The Netherlands,' Dunne said. 'But this is a very complex issue. Disease resistance can be provided by a single gene or a number of specific genes working in association with each other. 'Plant pathologists at the UK's National Institute of Agricultural Botany are striving to identify what has actually happened with regard to Yr15's interaction with new yellow rust variants.' According to the Goldcrop representative, these recent developments will be of direct interest to plant breeders and the wheat development programmes they follow into the future. 'The yellow rust issue was a major talking point at our recent open days,' he said. Dunne added that as the situation is still rapidly evolving, it is 'still too early to gauge' how it will impact on Irish wheat production. 'But one thing is already clear. There will be an elevated number of yellow rust spores in the Irish environment over the next two years. 'And Irish tillage farmers will have to take full note of this reality as they plan their future crop protection programmes,' the Goldcrop representative added.
Epoch Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Ban on Disposable Vapes Comes Into Force Amid Concerns Users Might Switch Back to Smoking
A ban on selling disposable vapes will come into effect across the whole of the UK on Sunday, in a bid to cut their use among children as well as the litter created when improperly thrown away. From June 1, it will be illegal for all retailers to sell single-use vapes, whether or not they contain nicotine. Traders who continue to sell them risk a £200 fine in the first instance, then unlimited fines and possible jail for repeat offences. However, it will still be legal to sell reusable vapes, which are refillable and rechargeable. The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the ban would 'put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation's streets.' Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: 'For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today. The government calls time on these nasty devices.' Related Stories 4/16/2025 8/28/2024 Last year, the British Medical Association (BMA) Aid to Quit Smoking However, those in the industry warned of the 'serious unintended consequences' that banning disposable vapes could bring. The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) said that vaping was intended to help smokers quit, and disposable products were successful in aiding smokers to do so because the devices are simple to use and 'most closely replicate the sensation of smoking.' 'We are concerned that this ban will encourage former smokers who have already transitioned from cigarettes—which kill 220 people every day in the UK—to return to combustible tobacco or opt for unregulated vapes,' said John Dunne, the UKVIA's director general. Similar concerns were raised by Yorkshire Cancer Research, which supports the use of vapes to quit smoking and asks the government to make sure vaping products remain accessible to those who want to quit smoking. Stuart Griffiths, the charity's director of research, policy, and impact, said on Thursday that disposable vapes are often used by people on low incomes who may find the initial expense of a starter kit to be too high. 'Since smoking and smoking-related cancers disproportionately affect people from disadvantaged backgrounds, there is a real risk that the ban on disposable vapes could negatively affect efforts to address health inequalities,' he said. 'Not Completely Harmless' The NHS has also However, the health service said that while nicotine vaping 'is less harmful than smoking,' it is not completely harmless 'and we don't know yet what the long-term effects may be.' Children under 18 and adults who have never smoked are advised against vaping, because it can lead to nicotine addiction. File photo of a man exhaling whilst using a vaping product dated Feb. 21, 2020. Wire One concern is that ex-smokers move on to becoming habitual vape users. Analysis conducted by Action on Smoking and Health last year Tobacco and Vapes Bill The separate Tobacco and Vapes Bill is currently working its way through Parliament and includes powers to potentially restrict the packaging, flavours, and marketing of vapes to make them less appealing, especially to children. Dubbed the 'smoking ban' bill, its main purpose is to create a 'smoke-free generation' by banning anyone born after Jan. 1, 2009 from ever legally being able to buy tobacco products. However, it will not criminalise smoking itself. On Thursday, the Scottish Parliament granted its consent to the national legislation, meaning that it agrees to Westminster passing a law that affects the devolved area. The Scottish Government's public health minister Jenni Minto said she was 'determined to ensure a tobacco-free Scotland, where people live longer and healthier lives.' Minto added, 'The bill, once passed, will also ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children, stopping the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.' File photo of a smoker stubbing out a cigarette dated Feb. 14, 2006. Owen Humphreys/PA Wire Prohibiting certain people from buying tobacco products has sparked criticism from civil liberties campaigners, in particular raising how the law will create a two-tiered system where some adults can buy cigarettes and others cannot, based purely on their date of birth. Simon Clark, director of the smokers' rights group FOREST, 'Creeping prohibition will simply drive the sale of tobacco underground and into the hands of criminal gangs and illicit traders.' PA Media contributed to this report.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
UK bans single-use vapes to stem use by children and reduce harmful litter
HighlightsA ban on disposable vapes has been implemented across the United Kingdom to curb usage among children, reduce litter, and prevent environmental harm from harmful chemicals. The ban prohibits the sale of both nicotine and non-nicotine disposable vapes, while allowing retailers to continue selling reusable vapes. The United Kingdom Vaping Industry Association expressed concerns that the ban may lead former smokers back to combustible tobacco or unregulated vaping products. A ban on disposable vapes came into force across the U.K. on Sunday as the British government aims to stem their use by children, reduce litter and prevent the leaking of harmful chemicals into the environment. The ban makes it illegal for any retailer - online or in-store - to sell vapes, whether they contain nicotine or not. They will still be able to sell reusable vapes. The crackdown follows the soaring use of disposable vapes in schools and a rising tide of trash as users dispose of the vapes. It is estimated that as many as 5 million disposable vapes are thrown in bins or littered every week across the U.K., rather than being recycled. A number of countries are seeking to regulate the vape market, which has grown exponentially over the past decade or so. Australia outlawed the sale of vapes outside pharmacies last year in some of the world's toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes, while Belgium became the first European Country to ban the use of disposable vapes at the start of this year. California has been at the forefront of bringing in new regulations in the U.S. The U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said usage among young people remained too high, and the ban would "put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation's streets." Also known as single-use vapes, disposable vapes are non-refillable and unable to be recharged, and are typically thrown away with general waste or just thrown on the street. Even when they are recycled, they need to be taken apart by hand, while their batteries are a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment and potentially harming wildlife. Businesses were given six months to prepare for the change by selling any existing stock. Rogue traders who continue to sell them risk a fine of 200 ($260) in the first instance, followed by an unlimited fine or jail time for repeat offending. The U.K. Vaping Industry Association said its members had moved quickly to comply with the June 1 deadline, but warned of "serious unintended consequences" emanating from too much regulation. "We are concerned that this ban will encourage former smokers who have already transitioned from cigarettes, which kill 220 people every day in the U.K, to return to combustible tobacco or opt for unregulated vapes," said its director general, John Dunne. Separately, the British government is legislating to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavors of e-cigarettes.
Euronews
02-06-2025
- Business
- Euronews
UK ban on single-use vapes comes into force to stop children's use
A ban on disposable vapes came into force across the United Kingdom on Sunday as the British government aims to stem their use by children, reduce litter, and prevent the leaking of harmful chemicals into the environment. The ban makes it illegal for any retailer – online or in-store – to sell vapes, whether they contain nicotine or not. They will still be able to sell reusable vapes. The crackdown follows the soaring use of disposable vapes in schools and a rising tide of trash as users dispose of the vapes. It is estimated that as many as 5 million disposable vapes are thrown in bins or littered every week across the UK, rather than being recycled. A number of countries are seeking to regulate the vape market, which has grown exponentially over the past decade or so. Australia outlawed the sale of vapes outside pharmacies last year in some of the world's toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes, while Belgium became the first European country to ban the use of disposable vapes at the start of this year. California has been at the forefront of bringing in new regulations in the United States. The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said usage among young people remained too high, and the ban would "put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation's streets". Also known as single-use vapes, disposable vapes are non-refillable and unable to be recharged, and are typically thrown away with general waste or just thrown on the street. Even when they are recycled, they need to be taken apart by hand, while their batteries are a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment and potentially harm wildlife. Businesses were given six months to prepare for the change by selling any existing stock. Rogue traders who continue to sell them risk a fine of £200 (€239) in the first instance, followed by an unlimited fine or jail time for repeat offending. The UK Vaping Industry Association said its members had moved quickly to comply with the June 1 deadline, but warned of "serious unintended consequences" emanating from too much regulation. "We are concerned that this ban will encourage former smokers who have already transitioned from cigarettes, which kill 220 people every day in the UK, to return to combustible tobacco or opt for unregulated vapes," said its director general, John Dunne. Separately, the British government is legislating to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavours of e-cigarettes. Arne Cavents was four years old when he was misdiagnosed. Growing up in a small city in Belgium, Cavents knew he was different from other children. He'd had surgery to correct his inward-turning legs, and had difficulty tying his shoes and riding a bicycle. Due to his symptoms, he was believed to have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a progressive hereditary condition that causes muscle weakness in the feet, ankles, legs, and hands. His mother, sister, and grandmother suffered the same issues. It wasn't until 2017, when Cavents and his wife started thinking about having children, that he decided to get genetic testing to confirm the diagnosis. But five years and three hospital visits later, the tests had only ruled out CMT – until he received a call in 2022 from a doctor in Antwerp who had detected an unusual mutation in one of his genes. Cavents was eventually diagnosed with distal myopathy with early childhood onset, a rare condition that, like CMT, causes weakness in the feet. His doctor estimates it affects one in one million people. 'Finally, we know what is going on,' Cavents, a 32-year-old health insurance agent, told Euronews Health. He said the diagnosis was 'a great relief' after years of 'uncertainty, sadness, hope, [and] disappointment'. Cavents is one of hundreds of patients with previously unknown genetic conditions who got answers as a result of a European programme to give them a second chance at diagnosis. By definition, these conditions affect fewer than five people per 10,000, and about 80 per cent have genetic origins. On average, patients wait 4.7 years before they are diagnosed, with younger people facing longer delays that can make it harder to find the right treatment, according to a 2022 survey of more than 10,000 rare disease patients across Europe. Diagnosis 'is really the first step,' Roseline Favresse, head of research policy and initiatives at the advocacy group European Organisation for Rare Diseases, told Euronews Health. As part of a study published in the journal Nature Medicine this year, researchers from 37 medical centres across Europe pooled their data and reexamined the records of about 6,500 rare disease patients who did not have a genetic confirmation of their diagnosis, as well as 3,200 relatives. This data-sharing partnership, known as Solve-RD, allowed researchers to analyse more recent studies on gene mutations, use cutting-edge technology to identify potential variants, and consult experts in other countries – a key component because these conditions are so rare that many diagnosticians lack expertise in any one particular disease. 'By having novel software tools to mine the data, with existing data you can make a new genetic diagnosis,' said Richarda de Voer, an associate professor of cancer genomics at Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, who worked with Solve-RD to diagnose rare hereditary cancers. As part of the Solve-RD programme, more than 500 people were diagnosed with rare neurological disorders, severe intellectual disabilities, muscle diseases, hereditary gastrointestinal cancer, and other conditions. For about 15 per cent of them, diagnosis led directly to new treatment options or other medical support. For the rest, it offered clarity and hope that new treatments could become available in the future. 'These disorders are rare, they are genetic, and in the past, we would say they are not curable,' Dr Jonathan De Winter, a rare disease researcher at the University of Antwerp and Cavents' doctor, told Euronews Health. 'But that's really changing in the past years,' he added. For Cavents, his diagnosis opened the door to fatherhood after years spent worrying he could pass his condition on to his children. He and his wife will now have the option to monitor for the genetic variant through prenatal diagnostics or during in vitro fertilisation (IVF), in which embryos would be tested for the mutation before being implanted into his wife's uterus. Despite the lack of treatment options for Cavents at present, his diagnosis has been so life-changing that he and his wife sometimes joke about naming their future child after De Winter. 'It's been a long road. In the end, it is a positive outcome for me,' he said. The Solve-RD programme ended in 2024, but its early findings are central to a new international project that aims to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for Europe's 30 million rare disease patients. Through the new project, known as the European Rare Disease Research Alliance (ERDERA), researchers are working with bigger genetic datasets and incorporating more advanced genome sequencing technology that should help them detect complex mutations. 'We use the lessons learned from Solve-RD for ERDERA,' Alexander Hoischen, a geneticist and professor at Radboud University who co-led the Solve-RD project, told Euronews Health. 'We are now already more efficient in making diagnoses,' he added. As a result, clinicians should be able to share some potential new insights with patients within the next year, according to Holm Graessner, a rare disease researcher in Germany who worked with Solve-RD and now co-leads ERDERA's clinical research network. 'We now have the chance to… scale it up, to further develop it, and to include further countries,' Graessner told Euronews Health. As researchers take those steps, patient advocates want the programme to move beyond academic settings to make genetic reanalysis available in all clinics that treat rare disease patients. 'What we hope to see is a significant increase in the percentage of cases solved after reanalysis,' Favresse said, as well as 'equal opportunities for everyone to benefit from a second chance at being diagnosed'.
Arab Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
UK bans single-use vapes to stem use by children and reduce harmful litter
LONDON, June 2, (AP): A ban on disposable vapes came into force across the U.K. on Sunday as the British government aims to stem their use by children, reduce litter, and prevent the leaking of harmful chemicals into the environment. The ban makes it illegal for any retailer - online or in-store - to sell vapes, whether they contain nicotine or not. They will still be able to sell reusable vapes. The crackdown follows the soaring use of disposable vapes in schools and a rising tide of trash as users dispose of the vapes. It is estimated that as many as 5 million disposable vapes are thrown in bins or littered every week across the U.K., rather than being recycled. A number of countries are seeking to regulate the vape market, which has grown exponentially over the past decade or so. Australia outlawed the sale of vapes outside pharmacies last year in some of the world's toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes, while Belgium became the first European Country to ban the use of disposable vapes at the start of this year. California has been at the forefront of bringing in new regulations in the U.S. The U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said usage among young people remained too high, and the ban would "put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation's streets.' Also known as single-use vapes, disposable vapes are non-refillable and unable to be recharged, and are typically thrown away with general waste or just thrown on the street. Even when they are recycled, they need to be taken apart by hand, while their batteries are a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment and potentially harming wildlife. Businesses were given six months to prepare for the change by selling any existing stock. Rogue traders who continue to sell them risk a fine of 200 ($260) in the first instance, followed by an unlimited fine or jail time for repeat offending. The U.K. Vaping Industry Association said its members had moved quickly to comply with the June 1 deadline, but warned of "serious unintended consequences' emanating from too much regulation. "We are concerned that this ban will encourage former smokers who have already transitioned from cigarettes, which kill 220 people every day in the U.K, to return to combustible tobacco or opt for unregulated vapes," said its director general, John Dunne. Separately, the British government is legislating to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavors of e-cigarettes.
