11.   The optimism about earnings comes after weeks of worry about what the Federal Reserve would do with interest rates.

12.   The optimism comes despite expectations that corporate earnings will continue to be weak for months and a Fed statement yesterday indicating it is quite concerned about the economy.

13.   The optimism has come even though final results for the parliamentary poll have been delayed due to slow counting.

14.   His optimism came despite the open public split between France and the United States on how to protect the UN-declared safe haven of Gorazde from Bosnian Serb attack.

15.   The optimism came after repeated complaints from the cash-strapped authority that the donors have failed to keep their aid promises.