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Mycobacterium abscessusis the second most common nontuberculous mycobacterium respiratory pathogen and shows in vitro resistance to nearly all oral antimicrobials. M abscessustreatment success is low in the presence of macrolide resistance.

In a recent book, Robert Trueman develops a version of the identity theory of truth, the theory that true propositions are not in some kind of correspondence with, but are rather identical with, facts. He claims that this theory ‘collapses the gap between mind and world’. Whether it does so will obviously depend on how the theory is to be understood, which in turn depends on the argumentative route to it. Trueman’s route is clear, rigorous, and free of extravagant assumptions. Perhaps because of those merits it seems obvious that it falls short of the claim he makes for it. But there are difficult questions about the nature of the shortfall and about what in the character of Trueman’s philosophical approach prevents him from appreciating it. The paper explores those questions through a comparison with Moore’s ‘original’ identity theory and the Idealist philosophy he directed it against.

Recent field observations suggest that the air‐sea momentum flux (or the drag coefficient) is significantly reduced when the dominant wind‐forced surface waves are misaligned from local wind. Such conditions may occur under rapidly changing strong winds (such as under tropical cyclones) or in coastal shallow waters where waves are refracted by bottom topography. A recent Large Eddy Simulation (LES) study also shows that the drag coefficient is reduced by a misaligned strongly forced wave train (with a small wave age of 1.37). In order to investigate more realistic field conditions, this study employs LES to examine the effect of a misaligned (up to 90°) surface wave train over a wide range of wave age up to 10.95. For all wave ages examined, the drag coefficient is reduced compared to the flat surface condition when the misalignment angle exceeds around 22.5°–45°. The drag reduction may occur even if the form drag of the wave train is positive. This study uses computer simulations to investigate turbulent wind blowing over ocean surface waves that are misaligned (propagate in different directions) from the wind. The study focuses on frictional wind forcing (wind stress) imparted on the ocean surface, because the wind stress is an important boundary condition for ocean, atmospheric, and surface wave models. Surface waves can be misaligned from wind when the wind field rapidly changes such as during tropical storms or in shallow water where wave directions are modified by varying water depth. When waves propagate slower than wind in the wind direction, the waves increase the wind stress compared to flat surface (no wave) conditions. However, this study finds that the wind stress is reduced, that is, the ocean surface becomes smoother, when the misalignment angle between wind and waves exceeds about 22.5°–45°. Large eddy simulations are preformed to study wind over misaligned surface wavesDrag coefficient is reduced due to misaligned surface waves for all wave ages under wind‐driven wave conditionsDrag reduction can occur even when wave form drag is positive Large eddy simulations are preformed to study wind over misaligned surface waves Drag coefficient is reduced due to misaligned surface waves for all wave ages under wind‐driven wave conditions Drag reduction can occur even when wave form drag is positive

A new linear lipopeptide, phormidepistatin (1), containing an epi-statine amino acid was isolated from cf. Phormidiumsp. strain UIC 10484. The planar structure was elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR experimentation. The relative configuration was determined by J-based configurational analysis and the absolute configuration by advanced Marfey’s analysis. Given that the statine moiety is an established pharmacophore known to inhibit aspartic proteases, phormidepistatin was evaluated against cathepsin D and displayed limited activity. With 1containing a statine-like moiety, we sought to assess the distribution of this γ-amino acid within the phylum Cyanobacteria. In-depth MS/MS analysis identified the presence of phormidepistatin in cf. Phormidiumsp. UIC 10045 and cf. Trichormussp. UIC 10039. A structure database search identified 33 known cyanobacterial metabolites containing a statine or statine-like amino acid and, along with phormidepistatin, were grouped into 10 distinct compound classes. A phylogenetic tree was built comprising all cyanobacteria with established 16S rRNA sequences known to produce statine or statine-like-containing compound classes. This analysis suggests the incorporation of the γ-amino acid into secondary metabolites is taxonomically widespread within the phylum. Overall, it is our assessment that cyanobacteria are a potential source for statine or statine-like-containing compounds.

The main aim of this study was to determine the impact on clinical practice of the first European Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) position paper on the diagnosis and management of nutritional and gastrointestinal problems in children with neurological impairment (NI). In this pilot-study, a web-based questionnaire was distributed between November, 2019 and June, 2020, amongst ESPGHAN members using the ESPGHAN newsletter. Fifteen questions covered the most relevant aspects on nutritional management and gastrointestinal issues of children with NI. A descriptive analysis of responses was performed. A total of 150 health professionals from 23 countries responded to the survey. A considerable variation in clinical practice concerning many aspects of nutritional and gastrointestinal management of children with NI was observed. The most frequently used method for diagnosing oropharyngeal dysfunction was the direct observation of meals with or without the use of standardised scores (n = 103). Anthropometric measurements were the most commonly used tools for assessing nutritional status (n = 111). The best treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was considered to be proton pump inhibitor therapy by most (n = 116) participants. Regarding tube feeding, nearly all respondents (n = 114) agreed that gastrostomy is the best enteral access to be used for long-term enteral feeding. Fundoplication was indicated at the time of gastrostomy placement especially in case of uncontrolled GERD. More studies are required to address open questions on adequate management of children with NI. Identifying knowledge gaps paves the way for developing updated recommendations and improving patient care.

Reducing methane (CH4) emissions from agriculture, among other sectors, is a key step to reduce global warming. There are many strategies to reduce CH4emissions in ruminant animals, including genetic selection, which yields cumulative and permanent genetic gains over generations. A single-step genomic evaluation for Methane Efficiency (ME) was officially implemented in April 2023 for the Canadian Holstein breed, aiming to reduce CH4emissions without impacting production levels. This evaluation was achieved by using milk mid-infrared (MIR) spectral data to predict individual cow CH4production. The genetic evaluation model included milk MIR predicted CH4(CH4MIR), along with milk yield (MY), fat yield (FY), and protein yield (PY), as correlated traits. Traits were expressed in kg/day (MY, FY, and PY) or g/day (CH4MIR). The MiX99 software was used to fit the single-step, 4-trait animal model. Genomic breeding values for CH4MIRwere then obtained by re-parameterization, using recursive genetic linear regression coefficients on MY, FY, and PY, giving a measure of ME that is genetically independent of the production traits. The estimated breeding values were expressed as Relative Breeding Values (RBV) with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 5 for the genetic base population, where a higher value indicates the animal produces lower predicted CH4. This national genomic evaluation is another tool that will lower the dairy industry's carbon footprint by reducing CH4emissions without impacting production traits.

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The Clouds, Aerosols, Precipitation, Radiation, and atmospherIc Composition Over the southeRn oceaN (CAPRICORN) experiment was carried out in March–April 2016 onboard R/V Investigatorstudying momentum (τ), sensible heat (Hs), and latent heat (Hl) fluxes over the Australian sector of the Southern Ocean including over one cyclonic cold‐core and one anticyclonic warm‐core mesoscale oceanic eddy. The turbulence‐based flux measurements obtained with the NOAA PSD flux system employing eddy covariance (EC) and inertial dissipation (ID) methods are compared with those obtained by the Coupled Ocean‐Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) 3.5 bulk model, and the neutral transfer coefficients are studied. The relative uncertainty between the turbulence‐based and COARE 3.5 estimates of τ, Hs, and Hlare 22%, 70%, and 26%, respectively, at 1‐hr time scale over the Southern Ocean. Further, the variability in bulk fluxes is investigated with respect to oceanic eddies, precipitation events, atmospheric stability, and extratropical cyclones encountered during the voyage. The main observed variability is an increase in significant wave height or γw(∼33%), τ(∼89%), Hs(∼187%), and Hl(∼79%) over the warm eddy as compared to average voyage values. During the passage of six extratropical cyclones, an increase in τ(∼62% average) and a decrease in Hs(∼235%) and Hl(∼79%) is noted in the warm sector, compared to prestorm conditions, but the pattern reverses behind the cold front. COARE 3.5 bulk model gives lower mean estimates of wind stress and heat fluxes in the Southern Ocean when compared with observationsThe 10‐m‐neutral transfer coefficients of momentum and heat fluxes increase with wind speed >5 m/sHeat fluxes decrease in the warm sector of extratropical cyclones, but increase behind the cold front

Pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) have dismal cure rates, and effective therapy is urgently needed. The oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) is highly expressed in RMS and lowly expressed in healthy tissues. Here, we describe a second-generation FGFR4-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), based on an anti-human FGFR4-specific murine monoclonal antibody 3A11, as an adoptive T cell treatment for RMS. The 3A11 CAR T cells induced robust cytokine production and cytotoxicity against RMS cell lines in vitro. In contrast, a panel of healthy human primary cells failed to activate 3A11 CAR T cells, confirming the selectivity of 3A11 CAR T cells against tumors with high FGFR4 expression. Finally, we demonstrate that 3A11 CAR T cells are persistent in vivoand can effectively eliminate RMS tumors in two metastatic and two orthotopic models. Therefore, our study credentials CAR T cell therapy targeting FGFR4 to treat patients with RMS.

ABSTRACTThe intronic hexanucleotide expansion in the C9orf72gene is one of the leading causes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), two devastating neurodegenerative diseases. C9orf72 forms a heterodimer with SMCR8 (Smith-Magenis syndrome chromosome region, candidate 8) protein. However, the physiological function of SMCR8 remains to be characterized. Here we report that ablation of SMCR8 in mice results in splenomegaly with autoimmune phenotypes similar to that of C9orf72 deficiency. Furthermore, SMCR8 loss leads to a drastic decrease of C9orf72 protein levels. Many proteins involved in the macroautophagy-lysosome pathways are downregulated upon SMCR8 loss due to elevated activation of MTORC1 and AKT, which also leads to increased spine density in the Smcr8knockout neurons. In summary, our studies demonstrate a key role of SMCR8 in regulating MTORC1 and AKT signaling and tissue homeostasis.Abbreviations:ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; C9orf72: chromosome 9 open reading frame 72; FTLD: frontotemporal lobar degeneration; GEF: guanosine nucleotide exchange factor; GTPase: guanosine tri-phosphatase; KO: knockout; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; SMCR8: Smith-Magenis chromosome region, candidate 8; WDR41: WD repeat domain 41; WT: wild type

The human 20S proteasome inhibitor scytonemide A (1), a macrocyclic imine originally isolated from the cyanobacterium Scytonema hofmanni, was synthesized via a biomimetic solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) approach employing the Weinreb AM resin. Utilizing this approach, cyclization of the protected heptapeptide via formation of the imine bond occurred spontaneously upon cleavage from the resin in the presence of a reducing agent and subsequent aqueous workup. The final deprotection step necessary to produce the natural product was accomplished under slightly basic conditions, facilitating cleavage of the silyl ether group while leaving the macrocycle intact. Purification of the synthetic scytonemide A was accomplished via normal-phase flash column chromatography, potentially facilitating larger scale preparation of the compound necessary for future mechanistic and SAR studies. The structure of the target compound was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy, which also shed light on differences in the spectroscopic data obtained for the synthetic and natural scytonemide A samples for some of the amide and alcohol signals in the 1H NMR spectrum.

There is widespread international interest in parental education as a means of promoting educational equality through improving educational outcomes for young children. The research in this area suggests an association between the home learning environment and children’s educational outcomes and highlights the importance of parental education for supporting young children’s learning through play. This article reviews the international literature around parental education initiatives (or ‘interventions’) in early childhood and then considers playgroups as potential sites for parental education. The article identifies the universal features of playgroups that make these sites appealing for the implementation of parental education initiatives and discusses the complexities associated with the design of interventions aimed at meeting the diverse needs of parents attending playgroups. It concludes by providing a case for community playgroups as cultural contexts, to be considered sites for parental education through curriculum aimed at supporting parents to actively engage in their children’s learning and development through play.

BackgroundWe aimed to describe newborn body composition and identify which anthropometric ratio (weight/length; BMI; or ponderal index, PI) best predicts fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM).MethodsAir-displacement plethysmography (PEA POD) was used to estimate FM, FFM, and body fat percentage (BF%). Associations between FFM, FM, and BF% and weight/length, BMI, and PI were evaluated in 1,019 newborns using multivariate regression analysis. Charts for FM, FFM, and BF% were generated using a prescriptive subsample (n=247). Standards for the best-predicting anthropometric ratio were calculated utilizing the same population used for the INTERGROWTH-21stNewborn Size Standards (n=20,479).ResultsFFM and FM increased consistently during late pregnancy. Differential FM, BF%, and FFM patterns were observed for those born preterm (34+0−36+6weeks’ gestation) and with impaired intrauterine growth. Weight/length by gestational age (GA) was a better predictor of FFM and FM (adjusted R2=0.92 and 0.71, respectively) than BMI or PI, independent of sex, GA, and timing of measurement. Results were almost identical when only preterm newborns were studied. We present sex-specific centiles for weight/length ratio for GA.ConclusionsWeight/length best predicts newborn FFM and FM. There are differential FM, FFM, and BF% patterns by sex, GA, and size at birth.

Feeding difficulties are frequent in children with neurological impairments and can be associated with undernutrition, growth failure, micronutrients deficiencies, osteopenia, and nutritional comorbidities. Gastrointestinal problems including gastroesophageal reflux disease, constipation, and dysphagia are also frequent in this population and affect quality of life and nutritional status. There is currently a lack of a systematic approach to the care of these patients. With this report, European Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition aims to develop uniform guidelines for the management of the gastroenterological and nutritional problems in children with neurological impairment. Thirty-one clinical questions addressing the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of common gastrointestinal and nutritional problems in neurological impaired children were formulated. Questions aimed to assess the nutritional management including nutritional status, identifying undernutrition, monitoring nutritional status, and defining nutritional requirements; to classify gastrointestinal issues including oropharyngeal dysfunctions, motor and sensory function, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and constipation; to evaluate the indications for nutritional rehabilitation including enteral feeding and percutaneous gastrostomy/jejunostomy; to define indications for surgical interventions (eg, Nissen Fundoplication, esophagogastric disconnection); and finally to consider ethical issues related to digestive and nutritional problems in the severely neurologically impaired children. A systematic literature search was performed from 1980 to October 2015 using MEDLINE. The approach of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation was applied to evaluate the outcomes. During 2 consensus meetings, all recommendations were discussed and finalized. The group members voted on each recommendation using the nominal voting technique. Expert opinion was applied to support the recommendations where no randomized controlled trials were available.

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Oceanic bubbles play an important role in the air‐sea exchange of weakly soluble gases at moderate to high wind speeds. A Lagrangian bubble model embedded in a large eddy simulation model is developed to study bubbles and their influence on dissolved gases in the upper ocean. The transient evolution of mixed‐layer dissolved oxygen and nitrogen gases at Ocean Station Papa (50°N, 145°W) during a winter storm is reproduced with the model. Among different physical processes, gas bubbles are the most important in elevating dissolved gas concentrations during the storm, while atmospheric pressure governs the variability of gas saturation anomaly (the relative departure of dissolved gas concentration from the saturation concentration). For the same wind speed, bubble‐mediated gas fluxes are larger during rising wind with smaller wave age than during falling wind with larger wave age. Wave conditions are the primary cause for the bubble gas flux difference: when wind strengthens, waves are less‐developed with respect to wind, resulting in more frequent large breaking waves. Bubble generation in large breaking waves is favorable for a large bubble‐mediated gas flux. The wave‐age dependence is not included in any existing bubble‐mediated gas flux parameterizations. Observed gases under a winter storm are reproduced by a bubble‐resolving modelBubbles play an important role in mixed‐layer dissolved gas budgets during the winter stormBubble‐mediated gas flux is larger for smaller wave age due to the greater prevalence of large breaking waves in a younger sea

IMPORTANCE: Observational studies demonstrate links between patient-centered communication, quality of life (QOL), and aggressive treatments in advanced cancer, yet few randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of communication interventions have been reported. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a combined intervention involving oncologists, patients with advanced cancer, and caregivers would promote patient-centered communication, and to estimate intervention effects on shared understanding, patient-physician relationships, QOL, and aggressive treatments in the last 30 days of life. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cluster RCT at community- and hospital-based cancer clinics in Western New York and Northern California; 38 medical oncologists (mean age 44.6 years; 11 (29%) female) and 265 community-dwelling adult patients with advanced nonhematologic cancer participated (mean age, 64.4 years, 146 [55.0%] female, 235 [89%] white; enrolled August 2012 to June 2014; followed for 3 years); 194 patients had participating caregivers. INTERVENTIONS: Oncologists received individualized communication training using standardized patient instructors while patients received question prompt lists and individualized communication coaching to identify issues to address during an upcoming oncologist visit. Both interventions focused on engaging patients in consultations, responding to emotions, informing patients about prognosis and treatment choices, and balanced framing of information. Control participants received no training. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The prespecified primary outcome was a composite measure of patient-centered communication coded from audio recordings of the first oncologist visit following patient coaching (intervention group) or enrollment (control). Secondary outcomes included the patient-physician relationship, shared understanding of prognosis, QOL, and aggressive treatments and hospice use in the last 30 days of life. RESULTS: Data from 38 oncologists (19 randomized to intervention) and 265 patients (130 intervention) were analyzed. In fully adjusted models, the intervention resulted in clinically and statistically significant improvements in the primary physician-patient communication end point (adjusted intervention effect, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.06-0.62; P = .02). Differences in secondary outcomes were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: A combined intervention that included oncologist communication training and coaching for patients with advanced cancer was effective in improving patient-centered communication but did not affect secondary outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01485627

The Lower Cretaceous stratigraphic section in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) comprises several well-documented carbonate systems that have prominent shelf-margin buildups, including the Berriasian Knowles Limestone ramp and shelf system, Barremian Sligo Formation shelf system, Aptian Pearsall Formation ramp system, and shelf systems of the Albian Glen Rose, Edwards, and Stuart City Formations. Two lesser-known but large-scale Lower Cretaceous Valanginian carbonate shelf to shelf-margin systems are documented in this investigation using core, wireline-log, and regional two-dimensional seismic data. The platform-margin succession of the older Calvin section comprises a shelf-margin buildup (back reef, reef, and fore reef facies) that may be as thick as 2000 ft (610 m). The seaward margin of the shelf, as displayed by seismic data, suggests shelf-to-basin relief of as much as 1000 ft (305 m) and margin-to-lagoon relief of 200 to 500 ft (60 to 140 m) (relief estimates are not decompacted). Major reef-building organisms are Lithocodium, stromatoporoids, and corals. The Winn limestone is younger than the Calvin limestone, and at the shelf margin, it may have been 600 to 800 ft (180 to 245 m) thick. It is composed of organisms similar to those of the Calvin reef complex. Considering the vertical position of the Calvin platform, succeeding the major bypass of Calvin lowstand siliciclastic sands, the platform probably records a transgression, which is consistent with its highly aggradational depositional style. The Winn shelf margin was initiated landward of the Calvin shelf margin and did not prograde as far seaward as the Calvin shelf margin. The recognition of these two Lower Cretaceous carbonate systems is important because they further detail the stratigraphic history and architecture of this deeply buried, lowermost Lower Cretaceous section in the GOM. These formations are also potential deep-gas, tight-carbonate (low-porosity) plays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A process study using large‐eddy simulations is carried out to explore the dominant 1‐D processes that affect mixed layer (ML) properties during an event of summer Monsoon Intra‐seasonal Oscillations (MISO) in the Bay of Bengal (BOB). These simulations use realistic air‐sea fluxes and initial conditions that were collected during the summer 2018 MISO‐BOB field experiment to explore the roles of thermal inversion layer (TIL) and Langmuir turbulence (LT) in modulating ML properties. The simulations span an active period with heavy rain and strong winds and a break period with strong solar heat flux and little rain. The mixed layer depth (MLD), sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface salinity (SSS) are most affected by the presence of near‐inertial oscillations, solar heating and precipitation, all of which occur at different timescales. The subsurface warming induced by the TIL reduces the SST variability at the MISO timescale when compared with the simulation without TIL. Comparison of simulations with and without LT indicates that LT enhances subsurface warming during the active phase and reduces diurnal SST modulation during the break phase. Simulations with 1‐D mixing models show a wide disparity in the evolution of MLD, SST, and SSS. Monsoon rain affects the lives of the more than a billion people in the Indian subcontinent. Increasing the prediction skill of monsoon forecasting models requires understanding how different weather events mix heat in the upper ocean. This study evaluates the different roles of observed rain, cooling, wind, solar warming and waves on mixing for two different ocean conditions. Motivated by recent observations in the Bay of Bengal, one condition includes warm water near the surface and cooler at depth and the other condition includes anomalous heat at depth. During the monsoon onset, surface cooling, winds and waves can release the anomalous heat, causing sea surface temperature to increase rather than decrease. Warmer water at the air‐sea interface leads to stronger evaporation and thus affects the intensity of monsoon rain. Our large‐eddy simulation study suggests that resolving subsurface processes and including the enhanced mixing effect of surface waves can potentially improve the prediction skill of forecast models, and thus, warrant further attention in the future studies. Near‐inertial oscillation, solar heating and precipitation are dominant 1D processes that set mixed layer properties during the 2018 MISO eventPreconditioning by a thermal inversion inside a barrier layer during the Monsoon Intra‐seasonal Oscillations (MISO) event can reduce the sea surface temperature (SST) variability at the MISO timescaleLarge‐eddy simulations with and without Langmuir effects show enhanced subsurface warming and reduced SST variability in the mixed layer in the former Near‐inertial oscillation, solar heating and precipitation are dominant 1D processes that set mixed layer properties during the 2018 MISO event Preconditioning by a thermal inversion inside a barrier layer during the Monsoon Intra‐seasonal Oscillations (MISO) event can reduce the sea surface temperature (SST) variability at the MISO timescale Large‐eddy simulations with and without Langmuir effects show enhanced subsurface warming and reduced SST variability in the mixed layer in the former

The IMPACC cohort, composed of >1,000 hospitalized COVID-19 participants, contains five illness trajectory groups (TGs) during acute infection (first 28 days), ranging from milder (TG1–3) to more severe disease course (TG4) and death (TG5). Here, we report deep immunophenotyping, profiling of >15,000 longitudinal blood and nasal samples from 540 participants of the IMPACC cohort, using 14 distinct assays. These unbiased analyses identify cellular and molecular signatures present within 72 h of hospital admission that distinguish moderate from severe and fatal COVID-19 disease. Importantly, cellular and molecular states also distinguish participants with more severe disease that recover or stabilize within 28 days from those that progress to fatal outcomes (TG4 vs. TG5). Furthermore, our longitudinal design reveals that these biologic states display distinct temporal patterns associated with clinical outcomes. Characterizing host immune responses in relation to heterogeneity in disease course may inform clinical prognosis and opportunities for intervention.

Genomic prediction for crossbred beef cattle has shown limited results using low- to moderate-density SNP panels. The relationship between the training and validation populations, as well as the size of the reference population, affects the prediction accuracy for genomic selection. Rotational crossbreeding systems require the usage of crossbred animals as sires and dams of future generations, so crossbred animals require accurate evaluation. Here, a novel method for grouping of purebred and crossbred animals (based exclusively on genotypes) for genomic selection was investigated. Clustering of animals to investigate the genetic similarity among different groups was performed using several genomic relationship criteria between individuals. Hierarchical clusters based on average-link criteria (computed as the mean distance between elements of each subcluster) were formed. The accuracy of genomic prediction was assessed using 1,500 bulls genotyped for 54,609 markers. Estimated breeding values based on all available phenotypic records for birth weight, weaning gain, postweaning gain, and yearling gain were calculated using BLUP methodologies and deregressed to ensure unbiased comparisons could be made across populations. A 5-fold validation technique was used to calculate direct genomic values for all genotyped bulls; the addition of unrelated animals in the reference population was also investigated. We demonstrate a decrease in genomic selection accuracy after including animals from disconnected clusters. A method to improve genomic selection for crossbred and purebred animals by clustering animals based on their genotype is suggested. Unlike traditional approaches for genomic selection with a fixed reference population, genomic prediction using clusters (GPC) chooses the best reference population for better accuracy of genomic prediction of crossbred and purebred animals using clustering methods based on genotypes. An overall average gain in accuracy of 1.30% was noted over all scenarios across all traits investigated when the GPC approach was implemented. Further investigation is required to assess this difference in accuracy when a larger genotyped population is available, especially for the comparison of groups with higher genetic dissimilarity, such as those found in industry-wide across-breed genetic evaluations.