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Saanen goats, specialized in milk production, improved in terms of quantity and quality (protein and fat content), are normally milked for 270-300 days with an annual production of 650-1050 l of milk / lactation and an average protein content of 2.9% and fat content of 3.2%. This study was conducted in the first goat farm in Romania that initiated prolonged lactation of goats. The research was carried out on a batch of primiparous goats, maintained in an intensive exploitation system, which after the first calving were subdivided according to milk production measured for a week. Two batches of 128 goats with a production of 3-4 liters/day and 94 goats with a production of over 4 liters/day were established. By modulating the diet and the light regime, the goats were milked continuously for 690 to 742 days, monitoring the amount of milk, protein and lipid levels on a monthly basis. Along with controlled breeding programs, prolonged lactation contributes to ensuring on the domestic market a continuity in the supply of goat's milk, throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past decades, more and more governments have admitted the importance of tourism as catalyst of economic and social development. Therefore tourism has been praised for its rapid and sustained development, although not even its' most optimistic advocates couldn't foresee such growth and resistance during global economic recession periods, when tourism has maintained or even strengthened its position. After a period during which has had a fluctuating evolution, influenced by the general economic, social and political situation, Romanian tourism seems to have taken an ascendant trajectory during the past years. Supporting this statement is the WTTC report "Romania - The impact of travel and tourism on jobs and the economy" which presents optimistic forecasts regarding Romanian tourism. Moreover, the growth of some new, modern types of tourism in our country such as business tourism, rural tourism, urban tourism, etc., sustain the idea of a positive trend in the evolution of Romanian tourism. These new types of tourism have recorded real growth during the past few years and the premises for their development strengthen the idea of tourism becoming an important sector of the national economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoperiod is a major environmental factor of regulation of testosterone secretion testicular volume and sperm production. The studies were conducted on the experimental farm of Caprirom and the biochemical determinations of testosterone were realized at Ovidius University-Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Constanta, Romania. The experiment started on 15/12/2010 to 26/05/2011. The bucks of the control group (n=10) remained in a open shed under natural daylength and ambient temperature throughout the experiment. Experimental groups (n=10) were placed in light-proof sheds and were exposed to alternations of 3 months of long days (LD: 16 h of light/day; lights-on: 06:00 h, lights-off: (22:00 h) and 3 months of natural photoperiod. The photoperiodic treatment started on December 15th 2010 to March 15th 2011 for experimental groups. In room, light was provided by 4 fluorescent tubes giving a light intensity of 300 lx measured laterally to the eyes of the animals. Changes in sexual activity of males were studied on the experiment in order to evaluate the efficiency of photoperiodic treatments. In light-treated groups, the photoperiodic changes by long days inhibited the testosterone secretion. Testicular volume was higher during normal days than long days although the amplitude of the variations was reduced compared to control groups. In photoperiod treated groups, testosterone secretion increased after 2 weeks of exposure to normal days and decreased within a 4 weeks after the beginning of exposure to long days. During the long day treatment (February to March), the sperm production decreased on experimental animals. After stopped the photoperiodic treatments and the bucks remained on natural photoperiod from mid-March, was observed an increase of sperm production from March to May. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]