1.   Late-season enthusiasm remained higher for more teams when there were two possible routes into postseason play rather than one.

2.   Optimism remains relatively higher in the North than in the southern part of the country.

3.   Although chemical earnings declined in the quarter, they remained much higher on a full-year basis for the energy companies.

4.   And insurance costs, overall, will remain higher for drivers of big cars than small cars.

5.   As more models crowd the market, these margins are starting to fall but remain far higher than for any other types of automobiles.

6.   A major point of The Times series was that job loss, measured as a percentage of the work force, had remained higher than in past recoveries.

7.   A major point of The Times series was that the level of job loss had remained higher than in past economic recoveries.

8.   After the auction, it pared its gains, although it remained higher for the day.

9.   All regions reported gains except the Midwest even though mortgage rates remained higher than earlier in the year.

10.   But even with the recent cuts, overhead expenses remain much higher than those of rivals.