SALT! SALT!! SALT!!!

Salt, a common household ingredient but performs much more than kitchen functions. Salt,(NACL) can be used in a variety of ways,to keep pathogenic bacteria at bay and also prevent ant infestation. Salt aside from its common kitchen use to flavor foods it can also be used in the following ways; a) preservation of food: salting and drying of meat/ fish is an effective means of food preservation. b)odor control: rubbing salt on chopping board and knives used to cut fish removes fish odor.

 Salt can also be used to control ant infestation, ants though tiny can be so annoying not to mention the damage done to property,vegetables,clothes and also a stress factor on the farm.Salt can be used to kill ants by making a full strength salt-water solution and spraying the areas in the home. 

 Salt is also beneficial in the raw form(unmixed), large amount of salt can be sprayed along the course of the ants, on the anthill and around the entrance of the house. The un mixed salt is of importance in the farms especially in poultry and also in barns.

The salt is sprayed around the farm perimeter,at the entrance and exits of the farms.The drains round the farm,and poultry houses are sprayed with the salt to prevent ant infestation. Salt can also be used as a potential weed killer, just make a full strength of salt water solution and spray in the affected areas for 3 days. Salt is important in feed formulation if we desire to get the best out of these animals: in poultry if the required amount is not present in feed, this can result in pecking in birds,also it can cause a sharp drop in egg production in layers. Salt deficiency in pig ratio results in hairless pigs. Salt in fish farming is of value to treat protozoa diseases and gill worms.Salt does more than giving food taste,its handy on the farm as well. Salt it out,its simple,handy and non toxic. SALT IN THE MIX# TREAT IT#PREVENT IT.

HOW TO USE BLEACH IN BIO-SECURITY PROTOCOLS.

BIO-SECURITY is basically keeping germs out of your production site.

There are so many agents that are used but i want to talk about the use of bleach in the poultry and generally on the farm.

The bleach -water mix can be made in full strength and used in the foot dip.The bleach-water combo will need to be replenished in the foot dip every 4 hrs.

The bleach-water combo in medium strength can be used to wash drains,and work areas in the farm.Cars entering the poultry can have the tyres sprayed with full strength of bleach-water combo.

Clothes,overalls ,boots and tools should be cleaned with bleach-water combo.

 Proper disposal of waste,dead animals and contaminated feed is very important.

The bleach- water combo can be sprayed in the trash area to prevent swarming of flies and also kill pathogenic bacteria.

 ITS in your hands now:use it and stay safe. CLEAN IT# BLEACH IT# STAY SAFE. WISHING EVERYONE A SUPER CLEAN CHRISTMAS  EVERYONE A SUPER CLEAN CHRISTMAS.

BIRD FLU.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza has been reported in Canada,backyard poultry in Oregon(U.S.A) ,some parts of Europe and India. The cases has involved humans aside waterfowl, crow and the chicken.The strains identified varies with the countries affected but majorly the H5 variants has been identified. BIO-SECURITY measures should be strictly complied with,and monitoring/surveillance should also be emphasized.The importation of poultry products at this time should be avoided,day old chicks,dressed poultry from such affected countries should be prohibited. The bird flu saga is still so fresh in our memory,lets hype up our BIO-SECURITY MEASURES AND BE ALERT. The is gradually coming to an end and the outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus is trending according to a report in THE POULTRY SITE.COM: 2014 Ends with Bird Flu Fears As we approach the holiday season, highly pathogenic (high-path) avian flu outbreaks in poultry and other birds are much in the news across North America, Europe and Asia. In the last week, India has confirmed that the virus affecting waterfowl in Chandigarh is the high-path H5N1 type. While several cases in people in the area are suspected, none has yet been confirmed. Suspicious deaths of wild crows in the state of Haryana are also under investigation. A new outbreak of avian flu of an H5 subtype has been reported in a village poultry flock in central VietNam. This is thought to be the H5N1 variant. Canada has now reported a total of 11 outbreaks with the high-path H5N2 virus in commercial poultry and one in a backyard flock, all in the same region of the province of British Columbia. THE United States has reported its first outbreak of high-path H5N8 avian flu a backyard poultry flock in Oregon, while the H5N2 virus has been detected in wild ducks in Washington state, close to the border with Canada. Following a new outbreak of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza at a duck farm in Germany in the state of Lower Saxony, the federal agriculture ministry has ordered a veterinary inspection of all ducks and geese before transportation. In mid-December, there was an outbreak of high-path avian influenza of the H5N8 subtype in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy but there have been no further cases since then.

HOW TO USE BLEACH AS A DISINFECTANT.

The cleaning exercise continues; another household product that I find so useful and very effective in killing germs is BLEACH.

The common household bleach does more than you know, look@ how I use it. Sodium hypochlorite(bleach), normally used to whiten clothes, it’s a powerful disinfectant. I use a mixture of bleach and water to clean floors, kitchen units, table tops and kitchen floors.

  Undiluted bleach is used  to clean toilet bowls  and  clean bathroom walls. A mixture of the bleach and water  to wipe bathroom floors, doors  sink ,brush holder and wash shower curtain .

How to use vinegar as a cleaning agent.

Clean it, clean it and clean it again. Cleaning has always been my passion, I just love to clean. I cherish a neat and beautiful environment; l can’t stand filth at all. My cleaning passion dates way, way back when I was a teen, if anything needs a shine, I’m ready to clean. My passion made me use a lot of unconventional products to achieve my goal of super clean, germ free environment. Back in the days, our kitchen cabinet provided the agents that I used for my cleaning experiments. Cleaning our sitting room was a herculean task, we had terrazzo floors with some areas covered with Persian rugs; I will sweep the entire living room, then I will wash the terrazzo floors with detergent in water mixed with vinegar, and I will rinse same with clean water laced with vinegar. The vinegar-water combination gives me a super shine and also disinfected our living room. The furniture was a mix of upholstery with massive wood works as arm rest and stand; this I also clean with the vinegar-water combination. We also had a bar made of colorful tiles, this I also cleaned with the vinegar- water combo. The vinegar- water combo was made in different concentrations depending on where I want to use it. Once a stain was on the rug ; I damped a clothed with scouring powder applied to the spot, and cleaned the spot with a double strength of vinegar-water combo, and like magic ,no more stains. Vinegar is normally used to clean vegetables, salads, also as food preservatives, but in my hands: Vinegar is my magic solution, I add to laundry soap in washing machine. My kitchen table gets a wipe with my vinegar- water combo. I use vinegar to clean and disinfect wounds; I also use it as a flea repellent. When I was experimenting in those days never knew I would make commercial products. The nature of my work warrants safety at all times so #hand washing# has always been my practice. I wash after I touch my patients, after a visit to a farm, and any procedure, and as soon as I get home I was my hands again. Hand sanitizer are always in my bag just in case, I’m in a tight spot where there is no water, I always play safe. I remember an occasion during the EBOLA CRISIS, some friends were trying to figure out which sanitizer to buy, they asked me which was so effective this is what I said; get a bottle of vinegar, buy liquid gel used for making soap, buy isopropyl alcohol(I.P.A) and fragrance, color and bam you have your own hand sanitizer. Vinegar ( acetic acid ) is an antibacterial that kills over 100 pathogenic organisms including the E.COLI (0157). A food scientist @ the VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE: noted that acetic acid (vinegar) kills 100 organisms but if you use it with HYDROGEN PEROXIDE it will get rid of 100,000 organisms. This combination is of great value in the food industry especially the meat industry. The meat vans are washed ,then sprayed with acetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide is also sprayed then vans are left to dry. THE ACETIC ACID/ HYDROGEN PEROXIDE ARE NOT MIXED IN THE SAME CONTAINER, BUT ARE USED ONE AFTER THE OTHER TO PREVENT RELEASE OF TOXIC GAS. VINEGAR IN MY HANDS, so much more than you imagine.

BIO SAFETY.

Clean it,wash it,disinfect it and discard it. Clean it; clean surfaces. Sweep and mop floors. Clean walls,windows and drains. Remove cobwebs. Wash floors,walls and table tops with soap and water,detergent or other cleaning agents. Disinfect walls,floors,table tops and drains. Discard it. Discard any rotten items/ dead animals/ disposed of promptly Discard/dispose garbage/refuse promptly. Discard animal waste properly . Keep washing hands,and be safety conscious. Home made disinfectant; get some home made bleach,put in clean squirt bottle and mix with water.This is good for floors,drains and table tops.

BIO-SECURITY.

BIO-SECURITY : KEY TO DISEASE PREVENTION.

Poultry health management is important due to emergence of highly pathogenic diseases like Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza (HPAI) in different parts of the world.

Bio-security measures are vital for better performance in the poultry sector. Bio-security has three major components: isolation, traffic control and sanitation. When new chicks arrive, it must be quarantined for three weeks in respective farms. Sick birds must be kept in isolation.

 Different age /sex groups are placed separately to minimize the risk of disease spread. Poultry health management and treatment procedure must organize means of isolation.

New birds represent a great risk to bio-security because their disease status is unknown. They may have an infection or be susceptible to an infection that is already present in the birds.

QUAIL DROPPING.

USES OF QUAIL DROPPING. Biogas is production of methane, carbon dioxide and water from biodegradable substrate such as animal dropping and agricultural waste. Microorganisms decompose organic matter into methane, carbon dioxide and water by anaerobic fermentation. Quail dropping, chicken dropping, animal waste can be used as substrate for biogas. Quail droppings have advantages over animal substrate because high quantities of methane as much as 10 x that derived from chicken dropping, and it takes a short time for the gas to be produced in the biogas digester. The energy derived is used to power household appliances, and it’s an alternate source of energy. Raw quail droppings are rich in proteins because of the surplus sperm that are discharged by the male quail; this increases the nitrogen content of the dropping, thus making it of value as fertilizer especially for vegetables. The droppings are processed in the compost pit to make them useful as fertilizer. FIG0-pI/AAAAAAAAAw0/QN2wqZaG1iY/s320/Photo1110.jpg" />

Training preparation for ebola.

http://www.healio.com/infectious-disease/emerging-diseases/news/print/infectious-disease-news/%7Bf7350f78-49bb-4e3c-8641-47b59e1e1c81%7D/us-hospitals-step-up-training-preparation-for-ebola

HAND WASHING.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lagos-Veterinarians/184803454901905

THE ROLE OF WATER IN FOOD SAFETY.

The role of water in food safety cannot be overemphasized. Water is of value in all sectors of food processing, handling, storage and consumption. The uses of water in the food industry are as follows; 1) Washing the raw foods and vegetables that we intend to process. 2) Cooking the food/vegetables. 3) Washing pans, pots, cutting board, knives and other cooking utensils. 4) Cleaning working surfaces, table tops and floors. 5) Washing hands before touching the raw products, and in between processing. 6) Water is also frozen to make ice chips that are use in making some drinks, ice teas and fruit cocktails. 7) Water is of value also in the dairy industry and ice cream factories e.t.c. The source of water must be defined and ascertained to ensure that contaminated water is not used for processing. Water used in the food industry can be classified into portable and non portable sources basically because of the uses. Potable water is also called drinking water, which is fit for consumption by humans and other animals. Water may be naturally potable, or it may need to be treated in order to be safe. The safety of water is assessed with tests which look for potentially harmful contaminants. Non-potable water sources include rainwater, reclaimed/recycled water. While non-potable water is not appropriate for human consumption, it can be of use in other applications, such as doing laundry, toilet and urinal flushing and cooling tower make up water. THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS REQUIRE, that adequate supply of potable water with appropriate facilities for its storage, distribution and temperature control should be available whenever necessary so as to ensure safety and suitability of food. Portable water should be used for food processing and should be identified to prevent food contamination. Non portable water should be used for other activities in the food industry and at no time must there be a mix up of water source. Contaminated water used in food processing cause illness in consumers. Water contamination is a major source of gastrointestinal issues, which can be fatal. Pathogenic micro organism in contaminated water will contaminate food. The importance of personal hygiene cannot be overemphasized when handling food. The major key is to always wash hands and utensil. DO NOT STOP WASHING HANDS; EMBRACE FOOD SAFETY.

DOGGY SICK AFTER GOO-DIE TREAT.

DOG SICK AFTER GOO-DIE TREAT The dog is sick after consuming the food, what could have gone wrong? HMMMM, LETS SEE. HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS Lets analyze the event: the goo-die bag. The bag contains layers and layers of different types of food. The core of the bag is a perfect site for proliferation of bacteria @rapid speed thus producing toxins that poison the food leading to food poisoning. The bacteria can also proliferate @ rapid speed causing food infections. The major culprits are salmonella, E.coli, staphylococcus, clostridium and botulinum, depending on the food type we are dealing with. What do we do to prevent a reoccurrence; CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS; If you must have agoo-die bag, sort the contents of bags and store differently. Use the first in: first out method. A goo-die bag you collected and sorted 3 days before should be served before you serve the bag you just brought in today. Don’t bring the entire bag out to thaw, pack the required amount in a mini bag and note the batch. Its this mini bag you process and serve one bag/ meal time. Avoid thawing and re freezing your goo-die bag, as this encourages rapid multiplication of bacteria. Get the goo-die bag you can handle within a short time. Learn to say THANK YOU and let go of other goodie bag offers. WHAT NEXT, MY POOUCH IS WEAK AND……………………. The first thing is get him as comfortable as possible. Give your dog a bland diet of freshly prepared rice with strip of chicken; a nibble @ a time if the dog can hold it down. Give water to hydrate the dog, preparation containing metronidazole is of value in treatment The condition will abate as soon as you stop the source of poisoning and start medication, but if otherwise, visit your vet.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: YOU AND YOUR DOG AT CHRISTMAS.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: YOU AND YOUR DOG AT CHRISTMAS. This is the season of abundant treats, for you and your pet. A season of more than enough with overflow in your freezers, fridges, coolers and stores just for you and your pet. This is the season you take all limits off and give whatever ,whenever and however to your pets just to make them happy. 

 This is the time you try new recipes and strange cooking methods are unearthed @ this period; some you can stomach, others end up in your pet’s bowl during the holidays landing him in the emergency ward of the veterinary clinic. The cases of sick dogs with diarrhea and vomiting as major signs increase during the holidays. 

 VETERINARY MEDICINE: YOU AND YOUR DOG AT CHRISTMAS This season there is so much food around; leftovers from parties, shows, eateries are literally tossed to pet owners, who gladly collect and dump in their freezers. 

 The food on its own may have been prepared with all food safety handling methods observed, BUT,BUUUUUUUUTT the problem starts with how the left over’s are handled, stored and processed. 

 The leftover’s are from different sources ,using different ingredients such as jollof rice, fried rice, coconut rice, curry rice, with beef,chicken,fish,entrails e.t.c. Everything is mixed together, put in a goo-die bag and bam in the freezer. 

 The goo-die bag is brought out to thaw; the required portion is taken out, processed and given to your dog. The same process is repeated at another meal time, and your pet enjoys the meal everybody goes to bed happy. The next day your pet is going to wake up sick with vomiting and diarrhea and he will need care to prevent a fatal incidence.

FOOD HYGIENE.

Washing goes along way to prevent food borne illness,wash hands,utensils and produce you want to cook.

Food borne illness

Food borne illness occurs mainly because of bacteria contamination during food processing and handling.The basic signs of food borne illness are stomach cramps,with vomiting,followed by diarrhoea which results in severe dehydration. The following will go a long way to prevent food borne illness; Keep hands clean always. Wash cooking utensils before use. Never let raw meat/poultry/fish get in contact with cooked foods. Dont use utensils used on raw foods with cooked foods. Rinse vegetables and fruits with clean water. Dont eat cooked meat/poultry that has been out of refrigerator for 2hours,also foods made with mayonnaise. Pay attention to left overs,dont eat foods that have been stored over time,this is a substrate for bacteria multiplication,which is a major source of food borne illness.

FOOD SAFETY.

FOOD SAFETY. This is the season of enjoyment, fun and lots and lots of party. There will be lots of cooking, shopping, freezing and storage. The process of handling food should be done with care to prevent bacteria growth and contamination to prevent the risk of food borne illness. Food safety refers to practical steps to ensure proper handling, processing, packing and delivery of foods such that only wholesome foods get to consumers. The discussion will be on 3 levels; 1) Purchase. 2) Processing. 3) Storage. Purchase: when you want to buy use smell , color and shape as a guide. If the meat/poultry/ fish is off color don’t buy. If the meat/fish/poultry has an offensive smell don’t buy. If the pack is damaged don’t buy, the product is probably contaminated. If product is thawed instead of frozen don’t buy. When buying canned foods; Don’t buy canned foods that have a leak. Don’t buy canned foods that are bulging on a side. Don’t buy canned foods in rusty containers. Don’t buy cans without proper labels. Processing; Wash your hands always. Wash hands before you touch products you want to cook. Wash all tools, utensils you intend to use. Wash and clean surfaces of table where you want to work. Wash meat/ fish/poultry you want to cook with clean water. Wash fruits and vegetables for salads and stews properly. Storage. Don’t store raw meat/fish /poultry with cooked food. Keep salads fresh and refrigerated. Keep stews ,sauces and gravies very hot, serve immediately after cooking.

THE POWER OF VISION.

Change they say is the only constant thing, without which there is no growth and development.

 Look at the worm in a cocoon turning to a beautiful butterfly, look at the egg turning to a chick, look at the lion cub,that cute cub turning to the king of the jungle and the list is endless.Growth must occur,nothing can stop it.

 Years ago, i watched an episode of SUCCESS POWER, by REV SAM ADEYEMI; he talked about vision. THE POWER OF VISION, and how it has the capacity to change you/ and take you from where you are to where you want to be and what you want to accomplish,it was so mind blowing.

QUAIL TO THE BANK.

QUAIL BUSINESS! QUAIL BUSINESS!! QUAIL BUSINESS!!!. The quail business is a venture with small capital start up, but huge financial return within a short time. The business trend now is short term investment with huge financial return, and quail business offers such opportunity. The business could be done on a plot of land; a new site, or any empty space around your living quarters. The key is that the area should be draught proof, rodent proof, and pilfering proof. The business outline; Raise 100 birds all female@600/ bird =60000 Naira. Cage; a four tier cage , with four compartments and 4 birds per hole. The cage should be placed in well ventilated areas. The floor of the cage is made of cross wire which allows droppings to pass through to the collecting tray under the cage, which are pulled out and cleaned at specific intervals. The droppings are poured in a compost bin to make fertilizer; these are bagged and sold to farmers. Feeders and drinkers are made available to the birds. Vitamins are added to the water @ regular intervals. Cost implications. 100 Birds purchased @ 4 week@600-----------------------------60,000 naira. Cage@ 12,000naira, 2 will be needed-----------------------24,000naira. 1 bird consumes 25g of feed a day, thus 100 birds will consume 2500g / day. 2500gx 30days =75000g. 1000g= 1kg 75000g=75kg A Bag=25kg 75kg=3bags.. A Bag of feed costs 2500 naira. 2500x 3= 7500naira. The birds starts laying @ 6weeks 100 birds will lay 100 eggs a day which will translate to 3 crates a day with extra 10 pieces that will make an additional crate on day 3. THE outline is explicit, with an initial investment of 100,000 naira; you can rake in 2400 naira from sale of 3 crates/day. The investment keeps on increasing, turning around your capital without stress. The next dimension will be to get about 10 males and take 20 females from your farm @ 8WEEKS and start a small hatchery, make your own dayolds ,you need to purchase a small incubator to hatch the eggs. The birds can be processed and packaged for stores; they can be sold raw, smoked or fried. The final aspect will be to sell the processed waste as fertilizer. I believe you agree with me, you have your personal ATM MACHINE IN YOUR BACKYARD.

GEKO POWER.

Iam one those people who dont like wall geckos,they give me the creeps,haaaaaaaaaaaaaagh. The gekos are useful as far as im concerned to control insects,but who will prefer gekos as natural insecticides instead of chemicals?hmmm ,i thought so.I believe everything was made for a purpose,and that" all things bright and beautiful,all creatures great and small,all things bright and wonderful, the LORD made them all." so i always look out for the good and usefulness in every creature. This has opened me up to a lot inventions/interventions in the animal world that are of value to the world, did you know that there is power in the gecko feet ,strong enough to hold a weight of 900 pounds without sliding? did you know that adhesive tapes are made from gecko feet that ca be used and re used without any residue? did you know that bonds made from the gecko feet can attach a flat screen on the wall? whaooo,the geko power is fantastic,imagine the possibilities of this type of bond in surgery? my guess is it will replace dermabond soon THE GEKO POWER; For years, biologists have been amazed by the power of gecko feet, which let these 5-ounce lizards produce an adhesive force roughly equivalent to carrying nine pounds up a wall without slipping. Now, a team of polymer scientists and a biologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered exactly how the gecko does it, leading them to invent "Geckskin," a device that can hold 700 pounds on a smooth wall. Doctoral candidate Michael Bartlett in Alfred Crosby's polymer science and engineering lab at UMass Amherst is the lead author of their article describing the discovery in the current online issue of Advanced Materials. The group includes biologist Duncan Irschick, a functional morphologist who has studied the gecko's climbing and clinging abilities for over 20 years. Geckos are equally at home on vertical, slanted, even backward-tilting surfaces. "Amazingly, gecko feet can be applied and disengaged with ease, and with no sticky residue remaining on the surface," Irschick says. These properties, high-capacity, reversibility and dry adhesion offer a tantalizing possibility for synthetic materials that can easily attach and detach heavy everyday objects such as televisions or computers to walls, as well as medical and industrial applications, among others, he and Crosby say. This combination of properties at these scales has never been achieved before, the authors point out. Crosby says, "Our Geckskin device is about 16 inches square [16 square inches] about the size of an index card, and can hold a maximum force of about 700 pounds while adhering to a smooth surface such as glass." Beyond its impressive sticking ability, the device can be released with negligible effort and reused many times with no loss of effectiveness. For example, it can be used to stick a 42-inch television to a wall, released with a gentle tug and restuck to another surface as many times as needed, leaving no residue. Previous efforts to synthesize the tremendous adhesive power of gecko feet and pads were based on the qualities of microscopic hairs on their toes called setae, but efforts to translate them to larger scales were unsuccessful, in part because the complexity of the entire gecko foot was not taken into account. As Irschick explains, a gecko's foot has several interacting elements, including tendons, bones and skin, that work together to produce easily reversible adhesion. Now he, Bartlett, Crosby and the rest of the UMass Amherst team have unlocked the simple yet elegant secret of how it's done, to create a device that can handle excessively large weights. Geckskin and its supporting theory demonstrate that setae are not required for gecko-like performance, Crosby points out. "It's a concept that has not been considered in other design strategies and one that may open up new research avenues in gecko-like adhesion in the future." The key innovation by Bartlett and colleagues was to create an integrated adhesive with a soft pad woven into a stiff fabric, which allows the pad to "drape" over a surface to maximize contact. Further, as in natural gecko feet, the skin is woven into a synthetic "tendon," yielding a design that plays a key role in maintaining stiffness and rotational freedom, the researchers explain. Importantly, the Geckskin's adhesive pad uses simple everyday materials such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which holds promise for developing an inexpensive, strong and durable dry adhesive. The UMass Amherst researchers are continuing to improve their Geckskin design by drawing on lessons from the evolution of gecko feet, which show remarkable variation in anatomy. "Our design for Geckskin shows the true integrative power of evolution for inspiring synthetic design that can ultimately aid humans in many ways," says Irschick. The work was supported by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through a subcontract to Draper Laboratories, plus UMass Amherst research funds. ________________________________________ Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by University of Massachusetts Amherst. ________________________________________ Journal Reference: 1. Michael D. Bartlett, Andrew B. Croll, Daniel R. King, Beth M. Paret, Duncan J. Irschick, Alfred J. Crosby. Biomimetics: Looking Beyond Fibrillar Features to Scale Gecko-Like Adhesion (Adv. Mater. 8/2012). Advanced Materials, 2012; 24 (8): 994 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201290037

Quails and incubators.

Raising quails can be fun and financially rewarding,irrespective of the aspect you decide to focus on. The production of fertile eggs hence day old chicks,production of table eggs,sale of mature quail birds ,processing for sale in markets and superstores and sale of their waste as fertilizer. There are various types of incubators in the market to fit every need,and are very affordable,check out these ones; come on board,join the quail multimillionaires.