Simultaneous estimation of sire expected progeny differences and variance components using restricted maximum likelihood

The objective of this study was to develop, for breed associations of Argentina, the necessary Fortran programs to organize a National Sire Evaluation program. Therefore, using four different models, eight Fortran-WATFIV programs were developed to estimate simultaneously the best linear unbiased predictor (BLUP) of the sire expected progeny differences (EPDs), the standard error of prediction (SEP), variance components and heritability of weaning weight. The Cholesky\u27s method was used to solve the mixed model equations;Since the data set of this study was small, restricted maximum likelihood (REML) was the chosen method to estimate (sigma)(,s)(\u272) and (sigma)(,e)(\u272) using genetic groups and relationships among the sires. Basically, Model I, II, III and IV allowed one to point out the computational differences in estimates of (sigma)(,s)(\u272). Comparing the REML estimates for (sigma)(,s)(\u272) obtained with the different models, it could be concluded that the estimation of (sigma)(,s)(\u272), from the data set studied, was slightly affected by including genetic groups and/or the relationships among the sires. However, the REML estimates obtained for (sigma)(,s)(\u272) were greater in those models that took into account the additive genetic relationships among the sires. This seems to support the argument that the increment of the variance of sire may be due to the fact that the use of A(\u27-1) has the greatest effect on sires with small number of progeny; therefore, these sires would have their EPDs less regressed toward their mean or group mean. Consequently, the estimate of heritability was higher in those models that took into account the additive relationships among the sires;However, no general conclusions could be established due to the fact that the additional information that A(\u27-1) incorporates to the sire evaluation procedure in any other data set may show different patterns that the tendencies found with the data set analyzed. With the methodology developed, further research will be needed to see if general rules could be established about the effect that the incorporation of A(\u27-1) has on the estimation of variance components.(\u27);Sire EPDs obtained with the models studied were compared. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficients between individual sire EPDs over all the sires ranged from 0.94 to 0.97. The Spearman rank-order correlations for all the sires in the four evaluations ranged from 0.93 to 0.96

Guillermo E. Joandet (1938-2007). Em memória

Guillermo Edgardo Joandet, was part of a select group of Argentine researchers. He was born on February 17, 1938 in Buenos Aires; married to Elvira C. Balog, he was the father of three sons. He graduated in 1955, as a bachelor of the National College of Buenos Aires, one of the most prestigious colleges. He later studied Agricultural Engineering at the National University of Buenos Aires, where he graduated in 1961. He was an outstanding student leader, becoming a Student Counselor, integrating the Board of Directors on behalf of the students. He lived a life dedicated to science and technology as a researcher, scholar, teacher, and science administrator, all functions in which he performed with brilliance and achieved well-deserved recognition. Retired, he was a member of scientific institutions including the Leloir Foundation. His friends and brothers remember him and keep his memory with affection. He passed away on July 6, 2007.Guillermo Edgardo Joandet, integró un selecto grupo de investigadores argentinos. Había nacido el 17 de febrero de 1938 en Buenos Aires; casado con Elvira C. Balog fue padre de tres hijos varones. Egresado en 1955, como bachiller del Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, uno de los colegios más prestigioso. Luego cursó  la carrera de Ingeniero Agrónomo en la Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, donde se recibió en 1961. Fue destacado dirigente estudiantil  llegando a ser Consejero Estudiantil integrando el Consejo Directivo en representación de los alumnos. Recorrió una vida dedicada a la ciencia y la tecnología como investigador, estudioso, docente y administrador de ciencias, funciones todas en las que se desempeñó con brillo y alcanzando merecido reconocimiento. Retirado, fue integrante de instituciones científicas entre ellas la Fundación Leloir. Sus amigos y cofrades lo recordamos y guardamos su memoria con afecto. Falleció el 6 de julio de 2007.Guillermo Edgardo Joandet, fazia parte de um seleto grupo de pesquisadores argentinos. Nasceu em 17 de fevereiro de 1938 em Buenos Aires; casado com Elvira C. Balog era pai de três filhos. Formou-se em 1955, como bacharel no Colégio Nacional de Buenos Aires, um dos colégios mais prestigiados. Em seguida, estudou Engenharia Agronômica na Universidade Nacional de Buenos Aires, onde se formou em 1961. Foi um destacado líder estudantil, chegando a Conselheiro Estudantil, integrando o Conselho Diretor em nome dos alunos. Ele viveu uma vida dedicada à ciência e tecnologia como pesquisador, estudioso, professor e administrador de ciências, funções nas quais desempenhou com brilhantismo e alcançou o merecido reconhecimento. Aposentado, foi membro de instituições científicas como a Fundação Leloir. Seus amigos e irmãos lembram dele e nós guardamos sua memória com carinho. Ele faleceu em 6 de julho de 2007

On inelastic hydrogen atom collisions in stellar atmospheres

The influence of inelastic hydrogen atom collisions on non-LTE spectral line formation has been, and remains to be, a significant source of uncertainty for stellar abundance analyses, due to the difficulty in obtaining accurate data for low-energy atomic collisions either experimentally or theoretically. For lack of a better alternative, the classical "Drawin formula" is often used. Over recent decades, our understanding of these collisions has improved markedly, predominantly through a number of detailed quantum mechanical calculations. In this paper, the Drawin formula is compared with the quantum mechanical calculations both in terms of the underlying physics and the resulting rate coefficients. It is shown that the Drawin formula does not contain the essential physics behind direct excitation by H atom collisions, the important physical mechanism being quantum mechanical in character. Quantitatively, the Drawin formula compares poorly with the results of the available quantum mechanical calculations, usually significantly overestimating the collision rates by amounts that vary markedly between transitions.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for A&

A grid of NLTE corrections for magnesium and calcium in late-type giant and supergiant stars: application to Gaia

We investigate NLTE effects for magnesium and calcium in the atmospheres of late-type giant and supergiant stars. The aim of this paper is to provide a grid of NLTE/LTE equivalent width ratios W/W* of Mg and Ca lines for the following range of stellar parameters: Teff in [3500, 5250] K, log g in [0.5, 2.0] dex and [Fe/H] in [-4.0, 0.5] dex. We use realistic model atoms with the best physics available and taking into account the fine structure. The Mg and Ca lines of interest are in optical and near IR ranges. A special interest concerns the lines in the Gaia spectrograph (RVS) wavelength domain [8470, 8740] A. The NLTE corrections are provided as function of stellar parameters in an electronic table as well as in a polynomial form for the Gaia/RVS lines.Comment: 27 pages, 19 figures and 11 tables. Also on-line data; MNRAS (2011) 000

The rovibrational spectrum of BeH, MgH and CaH at high temperatures in the X 2Σ+X\,{}^2\Sigma^+ state: a theoretical study

Accurate line lists for three molecules, BeH, MgH and CaH, in their ground electronic states are presented. These line lists are suitable for temperatures relevant to exoplanetary atmospheres and cool stars (up to 2000K). A combination of empirical and \textit{ab initio} methods is used. The rovibrational energy levels of BeH, MgH and CaH are computed using the programs Level and DPotFit in conjunction with `spectroscopic' potential energy curves (PECs). The PEC of BeH is taken from the literature, while the PECs of CaH and MgH are generated by fitting to the experimental transition energy levels. Both spin-rotation interactions (except for BeH, for which it is negligible) and non-adiabatic corrections are explicitly taken into account. Accurate line intensities are generated using newly computed \textit{ab initio} dipole moment curves for each molecule using high levels of theory. Full line lists of rotation-vibration transitions for $^9$BeH, $^{24}$MgH, $^{25}$MgH, $^{26}$MgH and $^{40}$CaH are made available in an electronic form as supplementary data to this article and at \url{www.exomol.com}.Comment: MNRAS (in press

Condiciones genéticas: síntomas y modo de herencia. Protocolo y regulaciones

El objetivo de esta 2da edición del protocolo “Condiciones Genéticas – Síntomas y Modo de Herencia”, de la Asociación Argentina de Angus, es ayudar a diagnosticar y mostrar, más que nada, la forma de herencia de las condiciones genéticas, así como también ayudar a los criadores a erradicar los animales portadores o manejar correctamente los apareamientos, a través de estudios de ADN, que es otro de los usos que actualmente nos brinda la genómica.Instituto de Genética "Ewald A. Favret"- IGEAFFil: Guitou, Horacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Monti, Aldo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Baluk, Maria Ines. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Ellinger, Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Trazar, Mariela Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Moglie, Juan Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Alt, Mariano. Asociación Argentina de Angus; Argentin

Resumen de padres Angus 2022

Con mucho orgullo, la Asociación Argentina de Angus presenta la 32ª edición de su Resumen de Padres Angus, fruto del acuerdo firmado en 1989 con el INTA (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria), que dio origen al programa ERA (Evaluación de Reproductores Angus). Como importante novedad, en este Resumen se incluye, por primera vez, el DEP de docilidad en 140 toros (de los 364 evaluados), cuyas 3728 crías también fueron evaluadas por 44 cabañas, en esta importante característica. Cabe destacar que, por el momento, este es un DEP clásico. El aporte de más información de docilidad, por parte de las demás cabañas adheridas al programa ERA, permitirá formar nuestra propia población de referencia (training population) para esta característica, para así obtener DEP enriquecidos. Por tal motivo, invitamos a las cabañas a evaluar la docilidad de sus crías y a aportar al ERA los datos obtenidos, siguiendo el Protocolo de Toma de Datos de Docilidad (ver Apéndice E) que elaboramos en 2019, así como también ver el video sobre el tema (subido en el canal Angus de YouTube), para codificar correctamente esta característica muy importante y de alta heredabilidad.Instituto de GenéticaFil: Monti, Aldo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Salerno, Juan Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Baluk, Maria Ines. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Ellinger, Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Trazar, Mariela Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Moglie, Juan Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Guitou, Horacio. Asociación Argentina de Angus; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Alt, Mariano. Asociación Argentina de Angus; ArgentinaFil: Curuchet, Agustín R. Asociación Argentina de Angus; ArgentinaFil: García Guerra, Sol. Asociación Argentina de Angus; ArgentinaFil: Gauna, Diego. Asociación Argentina de Angus; Argentin

Simultaneous estimation of sire expected progeny differences and variance components using restricted maximum likelihood

The objective of this study was to develop, for breed associations of Argentina, the necessary Fortran programs to organize a National Sire Evaluation program. Therefore, using four different models, eight Fortran-WATFIV programs were developed to estimate simultaneously the best linear unbiased predictor (BLUP) of the sire expected progeny differences (EPDs), the standard error of prediction (SEP), variance components and heritability of weaning weight. The Cholesky's method was used to solve the mixed model equations;Since the data set of this study was small, restricted maximum likelihood (REML) was the chosen method to estimate (sigma)(,s)('2) and (sigma)(,e)('2) using genetic groups and relationships among the sires. Basically, Model I, II, III and IV allowed one to point out the computational differences in estimates of (sigma)(,s)('2). Comparing the REML estimates for (sigma)(,s)('2) obtained with the different models, it could be concluded that the estimation of (sigma)(,s)('2), from the data set studied, was slightly affected by including genetic groups and/or the relationships among the sires. However, the REML estimates obtained for (sigma)(,s)('2) were greater in those models that took into account the additive genetic relationships among the sires. This seems to support the argument that the increment of the variance of sire may be due to the fact that the use of A('-1) has the greatest effect on sires with small number of progeny; therefore, these sires would have their EPDs less regressed toward their mean or group mean. Consequently, the estimate of heritability was higher in those models that took into account the additive relationships among the sires;However, no general conclusions could be established due to the fact that the additional information that A('-1) incorporates to the sire evaluation procedure in any other data set may show different patterns that the tendencies found with the data set analyzed. With the methodology developed, further research will be needed to see if general rules could be established about the effect that the incorporation of A('-1) has on the estimation of variance components.(');Sire EPDs obtained with the models studied were compared. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficients between individual sire EPDs over all the sires ranged from 0.94 to 0.97. The Spearman rank-order correlations for all the sires in the four evaluations ranged from 0.93 to 0.96.</p