Advertising costs money, which many businesses find themselves short of these days. But forgoing ad spending in favor of better profits can be a mistake. Experts say that in a slump, one of the best things you can do is adopt or increase your advertising strategy to attract customers. During a recession, this is especially true, as other businesses may be cutting back on their ad spending, making your voice even more prominent to customers. After seven years of growth, buliding from 30 to 300 locations, Firehouse Subs' growth fizzled, and company leaders realized they had to do something about it. So they returned local advertising fees collected from franchisees, not to put in their pockets, but to take hold of their own local marketing. Sales fell even more, revealing that this was not a good strategy at the time. Instead, Firehouse reclaimed their local marketing fee, and then gave franchisees the option to take part in a new marketing campaign, requiring them to pay double for local marketing, but in return, becoming part of an $8 million advertising campaign poised for success. Experts commend Firehouse for having the courage to ask franchisees for more money where it was needed, even when times were tough.

1 What is favism?

2 What is the haemoglobin content of reticulocytes and how can this be measured or determined?

3 We are told that an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) above 100 mm/h has a limited differential diagnosis, mainly vasculitis, malignancy and granulomatous diseases. Could you explain whether that applies to an ESR after one hour or two?

4 What causes a raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)?

5 What are the causes of very raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)? I mean an ESR 100 mm/h. Is this test diagnostic in any disease besides polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis?

6 1. Does the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) rise with age? 2. Can an ESR of 50 mm/h in an 80-year-old female with no evidence of systemic disease be considered normal?

7 1. What is a 'normal' erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)? Is the equation of a normal ESR age

10, correct? 2. Would a normal ESR exclude a vasculitic cause in the case of stroke? 8 In which conditions is C-reactive protein (CRP) more informative than the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)?

9 What is the management of an isolated high ferritin (without any signs, symptoms or changes in the other blood investigations)?

10 Is the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) useful? What is the RDW and when is it used?