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ABSTRACT.The most important traits of Chinese Liaoning cashmere goat fiber are fiber diameter, weight, and length. We looked for polymorphisms and their possible association with cashmere fiber traits in the 5' upstream region (5' UTR) of the prolactin receptor gene (PRLR), which encodes an anterior pituitary peptide hormone involved in different physiological activities; it is the principal endocrine regulator in pelage replacement in mammals. A novel single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was found in the 5' UTR of PRLR by PCR-RFLP in an analysis of 590 goats. Two genotypes (CC and CT) were observed. The frequencies of allele C and T were 0.93 and 0.07, respectively. Association analysis revealed that the PRLR 5' UTR polymorphism (SNP5) was significantly associated with cashmere fiber weight and diameter. This novel SNP in hircine PRLR has potential as a molecular marker for cashmere fiber weight and diameter in Liaoning cashmere goats.

Sodic soil is more likely to deteriorate in paddy fields than in other fields. Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum can reclaim sodic soils, but how long a one-time application of FGD gypsum provides benefits in paddy fields is poorly understood. In this study, soil salinity, sodicity, and soluble and exchangeable cation concentrations were evaluated over a 7-year period to investigate the reclamation of sodic soil in a paddy field by FGD gypsum. After 7 years, compared with those in the initial soil, the pH, sodium adsorption ratio, and exchangeable sodium percentage of the topsoil (0-20 cm) decreased by at least 2 units, 72.2% and 80.9%, respectively. In the process of FGD gypsum reclamation, substantial changes in topsoil salinity and sodicity

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