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Background: A condition to predict unbiased estimated breeding values by best linear unbiased prediction is to use simultaneously all available data. However, this condition is not often fully met. For example, in dairy cattle, internal (i.e. local) populations lead to evaluations based only on internal records while widely used foreign sires have been selected using internally unavailable external records. In such cases, internal genetic evaluations may be less accurate and biased. Because external records are unavailable, methods were developed to combine external information that summarizes these records, i.e. external estimated breeding values and associated reliabilities, with internal records to improve accuracy of internal genetic evaluations. Two issues of these methods concern double-counting of contributions due to relationships and due to records. These issues could be worse if external information came from several evaluations, at least partially based on the same records, and combined into a single internal evaluation. Based on a Bayesian approach, the aim of this research was to develop a unified method to integrate and blend simultaneously several sources of information into an internal genetic evaluation by avoiding double-counting of contributions due to relationships and due to records. Results: This research resulted in equations that integrate and blend simultaneously several sources of information and avoid double-counting of contributions due to relationships and due to records. The performance of the developed equations was evaluated using simulated and real datasets. The results showed that the developed equations integrated and blended several sources of information well into a genetic evaluation. The developed equations also avoided double-counting of contributions due to relationships and due to records. Furthermore, because all available external sources of information were correctly propagated, relatives of external animals benefited from the integrated information and, therefore, more reliable estimated breeding values were obtained. Conclusions: The proposed unified method integrated and blended several sources of information well into a genetic evaluation by avoiding double-counting of contributions due to relationships and due to records. The unified method can also be extended to other types of situations such as single-step genomic or multi-trait evaluations, combining information across different traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In recent theoretical developments, the information available (e.g. genotypes) divides the original population into two groups: animals with this information (selected animals) and animals without this information (excluded animals). These developments require inversion of the part of the pedigree-based numerator relationship matrix that describes the genetic covariance between selected animals (A22 ). Our main objective was to propose and evaluate methodology that takes advantage of any potential sparsity in the inverse of A22 in order to reduce the computing time required for its inversion. This potential sparsity is brought out by searching the pedigree for dependencies between the selected animals. Jointly, we expected distant ancestors to provide relationship ties that increase the density of matrix A22 but that their effect on A22-1 might be minor. This hypothesis was also tested. Methods The inverse of A22 can be computed from the inverse of the triangular factor (T-1) obtained by Cholesky root-free decomposition of A22. We propose an algorithm that sets up the sparsity pattern of T-1 using pedigree information. This algorithm provides positions of the elements of T-1 worth to be computed (i.e. different from zero). A recursive computation of 22 A-1 is then achieved with or without information on the sparsity pattern and time required for each computation was recorded. For three numbers of selected animals (4000; 8000 and 12 000), A22 was computed using different pedigree extractions and the closeness of the resulting A22-1 to the inverse computed using the fully extracted pedigree was measured by an appropriate norm. Results The use of prior information on the sparsity of T-1 decreased the computing time for inversion by a factor of 1.73 on average. Computational issues and practical uses of the different algorithms were discussed. Cases involving more than 12 000 selected animals were considered. Inclusion of 10 generations was determined to be sufficient when computing A22. Conclusions Depending on the size and structure of the selected sub-population, gains in time to compute A22 are possible and these gains may increase as the number of selected animals increases. Given the sequential nature of most computational steps, the proposed algorithm can benefit from optimization and may be convenient for genomic evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]