The waitresses attribute espresso's lure to the stepped-up pace of American life, even on the back roads.

But it is OxyContin, and the intense publicity its use has received, that appears to be propelling the stepped-up pace of prosecutions.

The company has not previously expanded at such a rapid clip and whether it can handle the stepped-up pace of growth remains to be seen.

Right now, however, the exodus continues, at a stepped-up pace, government data show.

The stepped-up pace has been evident in the subpoenaing of witnesses to testify before a federal grand jury in recent weeks.

There appear to be two reasons for the stepped-up pace of inquiry from Washington.

The stepped-up pace of invention, exploitation, and diffusion, in turn, accelerates the whole cycle still further.

But what specifically marks the people of the future is the fact that they are already caught up in a new, stepped-up pace of life.

Officials at the Kennedy Space Center said the stepped-up pace of shuttle missions was not causing any unusual pressures.

The stepped-up pace and economic demands of a cosmopolitan urban life could impact very negatively on the welfare of the rural poor.