The core component is a resource to the program project as a whole. It consists of two sections. The first section is administrative. A secretary and office assistant provide general office support, typing, and phone answering for the entire professional staff on this grant. A grant administrator provides the administrative expertise required in a program of this magnitude by overseeing the financial management of grant funds and by ensuring compliance with federal regulations. The second part of this core component is comprised of statistical, data management and programming support. All projects draw upon databases housed in a cluster of VAX computers with data entry and retrieval possible through personal computers housed in offices and laboratories. Preparation of the data for statistical analysis involves manipulation of several sources of data. A programmer retrieves the pertinent data from the clinical statistics core database, the long-term follow-up database, or the canine studies database, and combines them with study-specific data in preparation for later statistical analysis. A biostatistician assists the investigators in selection of primary endpoints, data collection, sample size projection, study design, and statistical analysis.