Federal research zeroing in on particular programs has also shown lukewarm results, however: Although an Oklahoma program showed promise, other classes had scant effect on whether unmarried couples had better relationships or stayed together.
Wall Street welcomed the news of the tentative settlement, which investors appeared to read as having scant effect on Microsoft and as removing a lingering cloud over its future.
In response, the antigay-marriage National Organization for Marriage called in March for a nationwide boycott of Starbucks that so far seems to have had scant effect.
Past efforts have had scant effect, experts said.
Many, including Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Barnett Newman, viewed the works, though to scant effect.
The allied airstrikes, coupled with the highly publicized troop deployments, appear to have had scant effect so far on President Saddam Hussein's decisions on Iraqi troop movements.
Citizens are losing confidence in the power of their votes; assemblies and rallies are hurriedly convened to stem the tide of further government cutbacks, but to scant effect.
Heather Barr, an Afghanistan researcher for Human Rights Watch, said that there was a cultural tolerance for violence against women and impunity for men who committed it, and that recent efforts to protect women had had scant effect.
New employment data, which had scant effect on the stock market, was also largely set aside by the bond market, which tends to rise on poor economic news that portends lower interest rates.
