"The push toward lower rates in exchange for a broader base was a relative improvement."

After a long period of decline relative to other developed countries British facilities have made a relative improvement since the 1980s, and this is ongoing.

The latest nationwide survey showed "relative improvement from the fiscal malaise of the past few years," Mr. Pattison said, but "the states' fiscal situations will remain difficult for the foreseeable future."

Only Morocco got some praise for a "relative improvement" this past decade.

The citadel tell was excavated by the British Society for South Asian Studies through the 1970s and with the relative improvement in security from 2008-2009.

The most striking feature, however, is the very favourable differential performance of manufacturing industries in the active policy period - accounting for over two-thirds of the overall relative improvement in Development Areas.

In this case we might consider the relative improvements (rabbits running faster than foxes or vice versa) to be also absolute improvements in fitness.

This involves looking at the relative improvement of pupils, not their absolute performance - how much 'value' has been 'added'.

This relative improvement explains why Atlanta-after ranking in the top five highest crime cities for most of the previous three decades-now ranks 31st.

Using program re-runs, a measure of relative improvement can then be determined to decide if the optimization was successful and by what amount.