Fits a multivariate linear mixed effects model that uses a polygenic term, after Zhou & Stephens (2014) (< https://www.nature.com/articles/nmeth.2848>). Of particular interest is the estimation of variance components with restricted maximum likelihood (REML) methods. Genome-wide efficient mixed-model association (GEMMA), as implemented in the package 'gemma2', uses an expectation-maximization algorithm for variance components inference for use in quantitative trait locus studies.