1.   Cattle farmers, slaughterhouses, butchers and restaurants braced for a sharp downturn in sales.

2.   Although Agency.com was an early leader among New York e-business consultants, it has struggled with a sharp downturn in corporate spending on Internet initiatives.

3.   Although the engineering and construction industry has long been vulnerable to sharp downturns, von Carp said the cycles often differ from the rest of the U.S. economy.

4.   And it is particularly painful coming as it has during a sharp economic downturn that has slowed several regional economies.

5.   And it is that kind of investor attitude that has kept the market upbeat, even in sharp downturns like the current one.

6.   And now they are under extra financial pressure because of a sharp downturn in advertising.

7.   And this sharp downturn in point production has him worried.

8.   Barring a sharp economic downturn, though, the budget debate will center on Social Security.

9.   Behind the slowdown is nervousness from the sharp downturn in American technology stocks States during the spring.

10.   A few weeks ago, after a sharp downturn, the market climbed for three consecutive sessions, only to fall even more steeply at the end of August.