business law New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra sparked a global food-safety scare when it admitted there could be bacteria in one of its milk whey products that could cause botulism, a severe and often lethal form of food poisoning. The impact of the scare was unprecedented, causing the New Zealand dollar to drop sharply, and prompting a wave of panic that saw China and several other major markets block all dairy products from New Zealand. As Fonterra was then Danone Nutricia's main supplier of whey powder, several Danone Nutricia's Karicare infant formula products were falsely implicated in the scare, prompting the company to initiate a series of product recalls across international markets. The botulism scare turned out to be a false alarm, but the reputational and financial damage inflicted on Danone Nutricia was immediate and severe. Weber Shandwick was tasked with guiding the communication programme, which required effective information gathering, continual situation analysis and strategic consultancy.

1 As a third-year medical student in Russia I am researching 'the role of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors in lung pathology'. Can you explain how proteolytic enzymes function in the normal lung?

2 Bronchiectasis is given as one of the causes of bronchial breath sounds. This is difficult to comprehend. Could you explain the mechanism of bronchial breath sounds more clearly?

3 I have been taught to examine vocal resonance by asking the patient to say 'ninety-nine' while auscultating. I listen for a louder 'ninety-nine' over an area of consolidation and more quiet sounds with effusion. Is this right?

4 What role does bupropion play in giving up smoking?

5 The clinical signs and symptoms of rhinitis are very similar to those of the common cold (influenza). How do I differentiate between the two?

6 What is the advantage of the drugs des-loratidine and levo-cetirizine over their parent compounds? Are they safe in pregnancy and lactation?

7 What are the differences between acute bronchitis and pneumonia? Are both diseases caused by infection?

8 1. If a patient with chronic bronchitis develops obstructive jaundice and Escherichia coli biliary sepsis, should the routine administration of oral steroids (e.g. prednisolone) be suspended until liver function improves? 2. Are there any adverse reactions that preclude the concurrent use of steroids while the patient is treated with IV ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, metronidazole and cefuroxime?

9 Robbins Basic Pathology mentions that in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the forced ventilation capacity (FVC) is either normal or slightly increased! I just can't justify that. I mean it should decrease. And this is exactly what is mentioned in your book. I couldn't contact the authors of that book so I decided to ask you whether there is actually a situation in which the FVC in COPD patients might increase?

10 Is there any obstructive pulmonary condition in which there might be an increase in FVC? If so by what mechanism?