Peter J. Robertson, Chevron's vice chairman, said in an interview last week that Chevron believed that Cnooc might "strategically focus" Unocal's oil and natural gas assets toward China, potentially restricting supply to the rest of Asia.

However, consistent with optimal foraging theory, which suggests that humans, like other creatures, decide what foods to eat depending on what gives the greatest nutritional value for the work expended to get it, the Takelma strategically focused on two plant foods: acorns and camas, also known as camassia.

"I view it as an excellent quarter with no real surprises," said Mark Stahlman, an analyst at American Technology Research, "and the Palmisano statement is a signal in the areas where I.B.M. is focusing strategically, there will be strong growth."

Conducted under the Agency's Effective Health Care Program (http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/), and launched in 2005, it focuses strategically on comparing the outcomes, clinical effectiveness, and appropriateness of pharmaceuticals, devices, and health care services.

A 2003 study used the PLACE method to determine where in townships people meet new sexual partners in order to strategically focus prevention efforts in these locations.

Quality and efficiency in grain distilling will be secured by concentrating it in two locations, at Leven and Glasgow, and investment in malt whisky production will focus on 27 strategically important distilleries.

In the near term, Pulkovo strategically focuses on its master plan until 2025 that calls for massive modernization of the entire airport infrastructure.

Dr. Reppetto hews to the belief that city police managers like Jack Maple, Mr. Bratton and Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani lowered crime rates by strategically focusing on quality-of-life crimes and instituting computerized monitoring and accountability tools.

Due to national trends among people with physical disabilities, Kessler Foundation decided to strategically focus the majority of its external grant allocation toward increasing the employment of people with physical disabilities.

We must build safe nuclear power plants and at the same time, using structural funds, encourage rural communities to focus strategically on the link between energy, water and biotechnology, thus strengthening the diversification of the energy base.