Penalized likelihood method is among the most eeective tools for nonparametric multivari-ate function estimation. Recently, a generic computation-oriented asymptotic theory has been developed in the density estimation setting, and been extended to other settings such as conditional density estimation, regression, and hazard rate estimation, under the assumption that the true function resides in...

Flocks participating in sire referencing schemes can achieve greater genetic gains than those achievable by within-flock selection. However, requirements for joining these schemes can be prohibitive to some producers. The objectives of this study were to determine whether less restrictive schemes or schemes of shorter duration could achieve rates of gain and reduce inbreeding as efficiently as ...