If we are unable to obtain patents, licenses and other intellectual property rights covering our services and  products, our operating results may be adversely affected. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain patents, licenses and other intellectual property rights covering our services and  products. To that end, we have obtained certain patents and intend to continue to seek patents on some of our inventions, services  and products. While we have patented some of our key technologies, we do not patent all of our proprietary technology, even when  regarded as patentable. The process of seeking patent protection can be long and expensive. There can be no assurance that patents  will be issued from currently pending or future applications or that, if patents are issued, they will be of sufficient scope or strength  to provide meaningful protection or any commercial advantage to us. In addition, effective copyright and trade secret protection may  be unavailable or limited in certain countries. Litigation, which could demand significant financial and management resources, may be  necessary to enforce our patents or other intellectual property rights. Also, there can be no assurance that we can obtain licenses or  other rights to necessary intellectual property on acceptable terms. One of our key business strategies is to acquire technologies, operations and assets that are complementary to our existing businesses.  There are financial, operational and legal risks inherent in any acquisition strategy, including: There are risks relating to our acquisition strategy. If we are unable to successfully integrate and manage businesses  that we have acquired and any businesses acquired in the future, our results of operations and financial condition  could be adversely affected. • increased financial leverage; • ability to obtain additional financing; • increased interest expense; and  • difficulties involved in combining disparate company cultures and facilities. The success of any completed acquisition will depend on our ability to effectively integrate the acquired business into our existing  operations. The process of integrating acquired businesses may involve unforeseen difficulties and may require a disproportionate  amount of our managerial and financial resources. In addition, possible future acquisitions may be larger and for purchase prices  significantly higher than those paid for earlier acquisitions. No assurance can be given that we will be able to continue to identify  additional suitable acquisition opportunities, negotiate acceptable terms, obtain financing for acquisitions on acceptable terms or  successfully acquire identified targets. Our failure to achieve consolidation savings, to incorporate the acquired businesses and assets  into our existing operations successfully or to minimize any unforeseen operational difficulties could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operation. We are subject to a variety of stringent governmental laws and regulations both in the United States and abroad relating to protection  of the environment, worker health and safety and the use and storage of chemicals and gases used in our analytical and manufac- turing processes and the discharge and disposal of wastes generated by those processes. Certain of these laws and regulations may  impose joint and several, strict liability for environmental liabilities, such as the remediation of historical contamination or recent spills,  and failure to comply with such laws and regulations could result in the assessment of damages, fines and penalties, the imposition  of remedial or corrective action obligations or the suspension or cessation of some or all of our operations. These stringent laws and  regulations could require us to acquire permits or other authorizations to conduct regulated activities, install and maintain costly  equipment and pollution control technologies, impose specific health and safety standards addressing work protection, or to incur  costs or liabilities to mitigate or remediate pollution conditions caused by our operations or attributable to former owners or operators.  If we fail to control the use, or adequately restrict the emission or discharge, of hazardous substances or wastes, we could be subject to  future material liabilities including remedial obligations. In addition, public interest in the protection of the environment has increased  dramatically in recent years with governmental authorities imposing more stringent and restrictive requirements. We anticipate that  the trend of more expansive and stricter environmental laws and regulations will continue, the occurrence of which may require us to  increase our capital expenditures or could result in increased operating expenses. 10 We are subject to a variety of environmental and worker health and safety laws and regulations, which may result  in increased costs and significant liability to our business.