Most of the food aid that reaches the city comes through the airport and the prolonged shutdown as winter approaches has caused food stocks to dwindle sharply and food prices to increase.

One factor in the nuclear power percentage decrease since 2007 has been the prolonged shutdown of large reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Japan following the Niigata-Chuetsu-Oki earthquake.

The prolonged shutdowns of the Labor Department resulted in fewer household interviews than usual but officials said that the results should not have been appreciably affected.

Experts say the automobile industry may be among the most vulnerable to a prolonged shutdown.

Although the prospect of another prolonged shutdown of the tram in two years has brought a new source of irritation to Roosevelt Island residents, some said yesterday they were relieved by the state's long-term commitment to keep it running.

Mr. Zimmer conceded that some members of the House Republican Caucus were uncomfortable with the prolonged shutdown, but not many.

It almost seemed as if there had been no delay, no prolonged shutdown of training camps and no tortuous negotiating sessions between owners and players.

Some investors are concerned that a prolonged shutdown of the center and a deluge of lawsuits would lower the authority's revenues, which are used to pay off its $4.1 billion in public improvement bonds.

Estimates of a prolonged shutdown of the 10-block stretch of subway tracks seemed to assure that delays on other lines would continue for all subway riders, the Transit Authority said.

The defects, he said, caused widespread and prolonged shutdowns of Okidata's Series 290 printers.