Bibliometric analysis of original articles of journal Enfermería Intensiva in the period 2001-2020.

INTRODUCTION: Bibliometric analysis allow the quantitative evaluation of the characteristics of a scientific publication. OBJECTIVE: To perform a bibliometric analysis of original articles in the journal Enfermería Intensiva from 2001 to 2020. RESULTS: The journal Enfermería Intensiva has published, between 2001 and 2020, 438 works, of which 259 are original articles (59.1%). These original articles are mostly quantitative studies (76.1%), with an average of 30.5 bibliographic references (SD 13.9), 4.9 citations (SD 1.7) in the Web of Science and Scopus repertoires, and 15,489.5 visits/downloads (median 9090 and interquartile range 4567-15,260) according to information on the magazine's website. These originals have been signed by 1345 authors, which represents a collaboration index of 5.2. 78.0% of the authors are sporadic, having published only one work. Most of the articles come from authors who work in institutionally located in hospitals and university centers, and geographically in the Communities of Madrid, Cataluña, Navarra and Andalucía. CONCLUSIONS: There is little international, regional and institutional collaboration, producing the highest level of collaboration between authors from the same center. The journal has established itself in the panorama of scientific nursing research in Spain and shows bibliometric indicators similar or even superior to other publications in its environment.

Numerical Model to Analyze the Physicochemical Mechanisms Involved in CO2 Absorption by an Aqueous Ammonia Droplet.

CO2 is the main anthropogenic greenhouse gas and its reduction plays a decisive role in reducing global climate change. As a CO2 elimination method, the present work is based on chemical absorption using aqueous ammonia as solvent. A CFD (computational fluid dynamics) model was developed to study CO2 capture in a single droplet. The objective was to identify the main mechanisms responsible for CO2 absorption, such as diffusion, solubility, convection, chemical dissociation, and evaporation. The proposed CFD model takes into consideration the fluid motion inside and outside the droplet. It was found that diffusion prevails over convection, especially for small droplets. Chemical reactions increase the absorption by up to 472.7% in comparison with physical absorption alone, and evaporation reduces the absorption up to 41.9% for the parameters studied in the present work.

Short communication: Sensory characteristics and volatile organic compound profile of high-moisture mozzarella made by traditional and direct acidification technology.

In the present study, the sensory characteristics and the volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles of high-moisture mozzarella made by different acidification techniques were compared. The cheeses were manufactured at the same dairy by fermentation by autochthonous natural whey starter (traditional backslopping method) and direct acidification with citric acid (the most used industrial technology). Three cheesemaking trials were performed from February to June using raw milk from a single farm. The mozzarella samples were subjected to assessment of the chemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics and to VOC analysis by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The relevant microbiological differences found between the 2 types of products were reflected in different sensory and VOC profiles. The cheeses were clearly discriminated by the panel, and traditional mozzarella had higher intensity attributes. The most discriminating descriptors were elasticity, overall odor and taste intensity, sour milk and fruity/vegetable odors, sour taste, and aftertaste. Even though some variability was observed among the trials, the VOC profile of traditional product was always much more complex than that obtained by direct acidification. In both products the carbonyl compounds were the most abundant chemical class, accounting for about 50% of the total. In detail, 51 compounds were identified in the entire set of samples, and their contribution to cheese aroma was roughly estimated by calculating the odor activity values on the basis of the odor thresholds available in the literature. The results allowed hypothesizing that only 12 of them could play a primary role. The most important among the odor-active compounds was 3-methyl-butanal that can both derive from metabolism of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. The results of the study may be very useful in view of European Union PDO labeling of the traditional product, in terms of protecting it from imitations.

Alpha-cyclodextrin as a new functional ingredient in low-fat chicken frankfurter.

1. The current consumer preference for healthier meat products is associated with less additives in manufacturing (so-called 'clean-label') or the addition of non-meat ingredients with functional properties, recognised as improving specific technological properties in meat products.2. This study evaluated the effect of the addition of alpha-cyclodextrin and wheat fibre to low-fat chicken frankfurters containing 35% mechanically deboned chicken meat on the technological and sensorial properties during refrigerated storage.3. The results showed that the addition of dietary fibres (alpha-cyclodextrin and wheat fibre) in low-fat chicken frankfurters improved emulsion stability, hardness, chewiness and reduced cohesiveness.4. Alpha-cyclodextrin helped the retention of fat globules in the microstructure and affected colour in the sensorial evaluation.5. The use of alpha-cyclodextrin, in combination with wheat fibre, as a new ingredient to substitute fat in emulsified meat products containing mechanically deboned chicken, improved emulsion stability and texture.6. Alpha-cyclodextrin and wheat fibre were effective in contributing to fat reduction without affecting the sensory properties of the product.

Molecular insight into taste and aroma of sliced dry-cured ham induced by protein degradation undergone high-pressure conditions.

High pressure processing (HPP) is currently being developed to increase the shelf-life of sliced dry-cured ham in convenience package without detrimental effects on texture and sensorial characteristics. This study is focused on protein degradation under pressure conditions and its contribution to taste and aroma. Samples of sliced dry-cured ham undergone HPP (600 Pa, 0-35 °C) were analyzed from different approaches including proteomic and chemical analysis (amino acids and volatile compounds). Proteomic analysis revealed that high-pressure conditions caused a higher level of proteolysis, displaying that actin (ACTC1) was differentially degraded, unlike myosin. Furthermore, main Strecker metabolites-isoleucine and leucine-were more abundant at lower temperatures as opposed to 2-methyl butanal and 3-methyl butanal under HPP. Moreover, this study confirmed that HPP affected positively linear aldehydes (pentanal, hexanal, heptanal and nonanal) because of produce a decrease of them, which could improve flavor and taste of dry-cured ham.

Effect of high pressure processing temperature on dry-cured hams with different textural characteristics.

High pressure processing is mainly used to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms and extend the shelf-life of dry-cured hams, but it also modifies its texture. These changes might be different depending on the initial textural characteristics. In this study, texture, colour and colour stability were evaluated after pressurization at 600 MPa during 6 min at 7 °C, 20 °C and 35 °C in samples with different textural characteristics (no pastiness, medium and high pastiness groups). HP treatments produced an increase of hardness (F0) and lightness (L*) values and a decrease of softness/pastiness (Y2 and Y90) and redness (a*) values at any processing temperatures. However, the increase of F0 and L* values was more pronounced in non-pasty samples. In samples with high pastiness and softness, HP processing at high temperature (35 °C) reduced the intensity of pastiness. However, texture of hams with non-pasty texture might be negatively affected. Therefore, the optimal temperature of HP processing depends on the textural characteristics of dry-cured hams.

Effect of chicken meat replacement by spent laying hen meat on physicochemical properties and sensorial characteristics of fresh sausage.

1. Sausages were used to assess the effects of chicken meat replacement by spent laying hen meat on the quality parameters and sensorial properties. 2. Five formulations were developed: control (CON) containing 100% chicken meat and 4 levels of chicken meat replacement with spent laying hen meat: 25% (T25), 50% (T50), 75% (T75) and 100% (T100). 3. Appearance, texture, succulence, flavour and overall consumer acceptance were analysed. Parameters such as moisture, ash, fat and protein content, pH, cooking loss and colour parameters (lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*)) were analysed, as well as the texture properties (hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness and chewiness). 4. Statistical analysis did not reveal significant (P > 0.05) differences in chemical composition and colour parameters among formulations. On the other hand, CON treatment showed the lowest (P < 0.05) cooking loss (20.45%) that increased as spent laying hen meat increased in the formulation (24.92% vs. 27.65% vs. 28.12% vs. 33.05%, for T25, T50, T75 and T100 batches, respectively). 5. Regarding textural parameters, T75 and T100 formulations presented higher (P < 0.05) hardness and chewiness compared to the other ones. 6. Concerning to sensorial characteristics, the T100 formulation presented the lowest average scores (P < 0.05) for all attributes studied. However, the other batches (T25, T50 and T75) did not show significant differences for appearance, texture, succulence, flavour and overall acceptability attributes compared with the CON formulation. 7. The results indicated that the substitution of up to 75% of chicken meat by spent laying hen meat did not decrease the sensory acceptance of the sausages by consumers, demonstrating that this level of substitution in sausages allows better use of spent laying hen meat.

Proteomic footprint of ultrasound intensification on sliced dry-cured ham subjected to mild thermal conditions.

Ultrasound can intensify the heating process used to correct texture defects in dry-cured hams. The effect of ultrasound-assisted heating on the proteome of sliced dry-cured ham was evaluated. Dry-cured hams with high proteolysis index (PI > 36) were sliced, vacuum packed and subjected to conventional (CV) and ultrasound-assisted (US) thermal treatments. Comparative proteome profiling between sample groups was assessed by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. It was found that protein fragmentation increased markedly after US thermal treatment. Specifically, fragments of the major myofibrillar protein, actin, were abundantly over-represented following US heating. In addition, five unfragmented sarcoplasmic proteins (i.e. fatty acid-binding protein, peroxiredoxin-6, superoxide dismutase, carbonyl reductase and aminoacylase) showed increased abundance in the US sample group. These results suggest candidate biomarkers to monitor proteolysis intensity and proteolysis-independent effects linked to cured ham quality by ultrasound application. SIGNIFICANCE: The present proteome profiling study of treated dry-cured ham demonstrates the impact of ultrasound action on proteins. Moreover, negative organoleptic effects can be appearing with ultrasound treatment due to proteolysis increase. Therefore, the proteolysis monitoring could help to control these effects. In this regards, our results suggest that actin can be a candidate biomarker to monitor proteolysis intensity.

Meat quality of farmed red deer fed a balanced diet: effects of supplementation with copper bolus on different muscles.

Supplementation with copper (Cu) improves deer antler characteristics, but it could modify meat quality and increase its Cu content to levels potentially harmful for humans. Here, we studied the effects of Cu bolus supplementation by means on quality and composition of sternocephalicus (ST) and rectus abdominis (RA) muscles (n=13 for each one) from yearling male red deer fed with a balanced diet. Each intraruminal bolus, containing 3.4 g of Cu, was administered orally in the treatment group to compare with the control group. Meat traits studied were pH at 24 h postmortem (pH24), colour, chemical composition, cholesterol content, fatty acid (FA) composition, amino acid (AA) profile and mineral content. In addition, the effect of Cu supplementation on mineral composition of liver and serum (at 0 and 90 days of treatment) was analysed. No interactions between Cu supplementation and muscle were observed for any trait. Supplementation with Cu increased the protein content of meat (P<0.01). However, Cu content of meat, liver and serum was not modified by supplementation. In fact, Cu content of meat (1.20 and 1.34 mg/kg for Cu supplemented and control deer, respectively) was much lower in both groups than 5 mg/kg of fresh weight allowed legally for food of animal origin. However, bolus of Cu tended to increase the meat content of zinc and significantly increased (P<0.05) the hepatic contents of sodium and lead. Muscles studied had different composition and characteristics. The RA muscle had significantly higher protein content (P<0.001), monounsaturated FA content (P<0.05) and essential/non-essential AA ratio (P<0.01) but lower pH24 (P<0.01) and polyunsaturated FA content (P=0.001) than the ST muscle. In addition, RA muscle had 14.4% less cholesterol (P=0.001) than ST muscle. Also, mineral profile differed between muscles with higher content of iron, significantly higher (P<0.001) content of zinc and lower content of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus (P<0.05) for ST muscle compared with RA. Therefore, supplementation with Cu modified deer meat characteristics, but it did not increase its concentration to toxic levels, making it a safe practice from this perspective. Despite the lower content of polyunsaturated FA, quality was better for RA than for ST muscle based on its higher content of protein with more essential/non-essential AA ratio and lower pH24 and cholesterol content.

Chemometric characterization of the trace element profile of raw meat from Rubia Gallega x Holstein Friesian calves from an intensive system.

This study was conducted to compare the essential and toxic element content of seven veal cuts: shoulder clod (SC), inside round (IR), eye of round (ER), bottom round (BR), heel of round (HR), knuckle (KK) and tenderloin (TL). Eighty-four meat samples were determined by ICP-MS. Overall, essential trace elements (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn), except Se, varied significantly between the different meat cuts. By contrast, there were no significant variations for the minor trace elements (Cr, Mo and Ni) or the toxic elements (As, Cd and Pb). Chemometric analysis of the data identified four clusters: (1) the main trace elements, except (2) Se, which was closely related to (3) the toxic elements, and finally (4) the minor trace elements. TL and ER cuts constituted two separated groups; most of the SC and KK samples were associated, and IR and BR samples overlapped. TL and SC contained the highest amounts of trace elements, whereas ER and KK the lowest.

Case report: serratus intercostal plane block/BRILMA and sedation for mastectomy in a high risk patient. / Caso clínico: bloqueo serrato intercostal/BRILMA y sedación en mastectomía en paciente de riesgo.

Breast cancer surgery can benefit from regional anaesthesia techniques, which can be used as a sole anaesthetic procedure in some cases where risk for general anaesthesia is high. Regional anaesthesia allows early recovery, reduces postoperative opioid and non opioid analgesics consumption and helps early home discharge, reducing thus costs. We present a case of an 87-year-old woman with multiple comorbidities who underwent breast cancer surgery. The patient was successfully surgically treated under serratus intercostal plane block anaesthesia. We discuss the use and benefits of the serratus intercostal plane block in thoracic procedures.

Application of temperature and ultrasound as corrective measures to decrease the adhesiveness in dry-cured ham. Influence on free amino acid and volatile compound profile.

The impact of low temperature treatment and its combination with ultrasound has been evaluated in order to correct texture defects in dry-cured hams. A total of 26 dry-cured hams, classified as high proteolysis index (PI>36%), were used. From these hams, ten slices from each ham sample were cut, vacuum packed and submitted to three different treatments: control (without treatment), conventional thermal treatments (CV) and thermal treatment assisted by power ultrasound (US). The impact of these treatments on instrumental adhesiveness, free amino acid and volatile compounds profile were assessed. Statistical analysis showed that both US and CV treatments, significantly (P < .001) decreased the instrumental adhesiveness of dry-cured hams from 85.27 g for CO to 40.59 and 38.68 g for US and CV groups, respectively. The total free amino acid content was significantly (P < .001) affected by both treatments, presenting higher values the samples from the US group (6691.5 vs. 6067.5 vs. 5278.2 mg/100 g dry matter for US, CV and CO groups, respectively). No significant differences were observed between US and CV treatments. All the individual free amino acids were influenced by ultrasound and temperature treatments, showing the highest content in sliced dry-cured ham submitted to ultrasounds at 50 °C, except for isoleucine which presented the highest level in samples from CV group. Similarly, significant differences (P < .05) were also detected in the total volatile compound content between CO and US groups, with a higher concentration in the CO batch (56,662.84 AU × 103/g of dry-cured ham) than in the US treatment (45,848.47 AU × 103/g of dry-cured ham), being the values in the CV treatment intermediate (48,497.25 AU × 103/g of dry-cured ham). Aldehydes, ethers and esters, carboxylic acids and sulphur compounds were more abundant in the CO group, while CV group showed higher concentrations of ketones, alcohols and nitrogen compounds.

Effect of gender on breast and thigh turkey meat quality.

1. The influence of gender on chemical composition, physicochemical parameters, fatty acid profile, amino acid and mineral composition of turkey breast and thigh meat was studied in order to assess nutrient requirements. 2. Chemical composition showed that only intramuscular fat in breast meat was significantly affected by gender (p < 0.05). The results showed a higher percentage of intramuscular fat in male samples, almost double the amount found in females (0.73% vs. 0.38%). 3.For meat colour parameters, only a* showed different results between sexes, with male samples (breast: p < 0.01; thigh: p < 0.001) having the highest values. 4. Fatty acid profiles showed that medium chain unsaturated fatty acids were the most abundant. The significant differences (p < 0.05) found in both breast and thigh muscle could be linked to a difference in metabolism between males and females. 5.There were higher levels of C16:1n-7 in females (breast: p < 0.001; thigh: p < 0.01) compared with male muscle sample (5.05 vs. 2.67 g/100 g in breast and 4.95 vs. 3.27 g/100 g in thigh). Nutritional indices (n-6/n-3 and thrombogenic index) were more favourable in female samples demonstrating that female turkeys had better fatty acid profile than the others. 6. Turkey meat is an important source of dietary amino acids, and female samples had the highest contents both of essential and non-essential amino acids. Furthermore, gender had a numeric effect (p > 0.05) on amino acid composition. 7. Mineral composition showed that Na, Zn and Fe were the minerals most affected by turkey gender.

Effect of proteolysis index level on instrumental adhesiveness, free amino acids content and volatile compounds profile of dry-cured ham.

Defective textures in dry-cured ham are a common problem that causes important economic losses in the ham industry. An increase of proteolysis during the dry-cured ham processing may lead to high adhesiveness and consumer rejection of the product. Therefore, the influence of proteolysis index (PI) on instrumental adhesiveness, free amino acids and volatile profile of dry-cured ham was assessed. Two hundred Spanish dry-cured ham units were firstly classified according to their PI: low PI (<32%), medium PI (32-36%) and high PI (>36%). Instrumental adhesiveness was affected by PI, showing the lowest values in the batch with low PI. Significant differences (P < 0.05) among groups were found in six amino acids: serine, taurine, cysteine, methionine, isoleucine and leucine. The content of leucine, serine, methionine, and isoleucine significantly (P < 0.05) increased as the proteolysis index rose. However, taurine and cysteine content showed an opposite behaviour, reaching the highest values in the dry-cured hams with low PI. Significant differences (P < 0.001) in the total content of volatile compounds among ham groups were observed, with the highest concentration in the batch with low PI, and decreasing the concentration as the PI increased. Regarding the different chemical families of volatiles, the hydrocarbons (the main family), alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and acids were more abundant in the hams showing the lowest PI. Esters did not show significant differences among the three batches of hams studied. The present study demonstrated that, apart from the effect on the adhesiveness, an excessive proteolysis seems to be associated with negative effects on the taste and aroma of the dry-cured ham.

Left ventricular remodelling and vascular adaptive changes in adolescents with obesity.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of obesity on myocardial mechanics and ventriculo-arterial coupling (V-A) in children. METHODS: Strain parameters, stroke volume, arterial elastance, left ventricular (LV) elastance and V-A were compared after adjusting for age and hypertension and after multivariate sub-group analysis between patients with and without obesity. RESULTS: Among 123 retrospectively enrolled subjects, 6-21 years age, 79.7% males, 52% were obese. Median (range) Body Mass Index Z score was +2.35 (1.67-4.43) for obese and +0.68 (-2.48-1.63) for non-obese. Subjects with obesity had higher LV mass indexed2.7 (LVMI2.7 ) compared with non-obese (P < 0.001). Lower global longitudinal strain (GLS) (P = 0.012), global circumferential strain (GCS) (P = 0.004), average longitudinal strain rate (P = 0.002) and average circumferential strain rate (P < 0.001) were seen in subjects with obesity; no difference was noted in arterial elastance, LV end systolic elastance and V-A. Increased LVMI2.7 , decreased GLS, GCS, average longitudinal strain rate, average circumferential strain rate and maintained V-A were noted in the multivariate analysis between subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity causes alterations in myocardial mechanics with preserved V-A in children. These findings may aid intervention in preventing the long-term cadiovascular effects of obesity.

Assessment of the stability of sheep sausages with the addition of different concentrations of Origanum vulgare extract during storage.

The aim of this study was to assess the stability of sheep sausages with the addition of different concentrations of Origanum vulgare extract during storage. Five treatments were prepared: without natural antioxidant (control), sodium erythorbate 500mg/kg (ER), and three amounts of extract (N1=4964.51mg/kg, N2=6630.98mg/kg and N3=8038.20mg/kg). From appearance sensory analysis, control treatment differed significantly compared to ER (P<0.05) and N3 (P<0.01) groups, with intense red color, agreeing with trend of a* values. On the other hand, oregano extract improved the lipid and protein stability of cooked sausages during the storage time. Regarding volatile compounds from lipid oxidation, the N2 group presented the lowest values at the end of chilled period. In conclusion, the oregano extract showed antioxidant potential equivalent to sodium erythorbate at intermediate and high levels, calculated by DPPH∙ and FRAP methods, and most of the parameters were not compromised, allowing synthetic antioxidants replaced while maintaining the nutritional and sensory quality of cooked sausages.

Comparative proteomic profiling of myofibrillar proteins in dry-cured ham with different proteolysis indices and adhesiveness.

Excessive proteolysis during dry-cured ham processing may lead to high adhesiveness and consumer dissatisfaction. The aim of this research is to identify biomarkers for proteolysis and adhesiveness. Two hundred biceps femoris porcine muscle samples from Spanish dry-cured ham were firstly evaluated for various physicochemical parameters, including their proteolysis indices and instrumental adhesiveness. Proteins of samples with extreme proteolysis indices were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and identified by tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF). We found that hams of higher proteolysis index had statistically significant increased adhesiveness. Proteomic analysis revealed statistically significant qualitative and quantitative differences between sample groups. Thus, protein fragments increased remarkably in samples with higher proteolysis index scores. In addition, higher proteolysis index hams showed increased degradation for a total of five non-redundant myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins. However, myosin-1, α-actin and myosin-4 proteins were the biomarkers that underwent the most intense response to proteolysis and adhesiveness.

Relationship between carcass traits, prime cuts and carcass grading from foals slaughtered at the age of 13 and 26 months and supplemented with standard and linseed-rich feed.

In order to improve foal carcass quality, it is necessary in particular to improve the carcass dressing percentage and tissue composition. Thus, it is important to establish relationships between grading systems and these parameters. This research was conducted to study the effect of slaughter age (13 v. 26 months) and finishing feed (standard v. linseed feed) on carcass characteristics such as subcutaneous fat colour plus classification of foals for the degree of fatness and conformation. For this study, 46 foals of crossbred genotype (Galician Mountain×Burguete) were used. Finishing feed did not affect any parameter, whereas slaughter age influenced all parameters (P<0.05). The oldest foals had higher carcass measurements, 13% more of meat, 4% more of bone, 12% more of fat, and 4% and 9% bigger fore- and hindquarter, respectively. Consequently, bigger valuable prime cuts were obtained. Nevertheless, the meat : bone ratio was very similar for both 13- and 26-month-old foals (2.88). Most of 26-month-old foals were classified in 'E' (Extra) and '5' (Complete fat cover) categories of conformation and degree of fatness. Most of the carcasses showed subcutaneous fat described as yellowish-white irrespective of age or diet. A regression model found that conformation (36%) and degree of fatness (33%) in live animals was positively linked with carcass tissue composition. It is therefore suggested that producers aim for older slaughter ages than 13 months and that the foal meat industry establishes grading systems to predict carcass quality. Further studies should be necessary to find the optimal slaughter age to obtain carcasses in the best categories of degree of fatness and conformation. New studies should be recommended to improve the meat : bone ratio of foal carcasses as it estimates the aptitude for meat production.

Prediction of foal carcass composition and wholesale cut yields by using video image analysis.

This work represents the first contribution for the application of the video image analysis (VIA) technology in predicting lean meat and fat composition in the equine species. Images of left sides of the carcass (n=42) were captured from the dorsal, lateral and medial views using a high-resolution digital camera. A total of 41 measurements (angles, lengths, widths and areas) were obtained by VIA. The variation of percentage of lean meat obtained from the forequarter (FQ) and hindquarter (HQ) carcass ranged between 5.86% and 7.83%. However, the percentage of fat (FAT) obtained from the FQ and HQ carcass presented a higher variation (CV between 41.34% and 44.58%). By combining different measurements and using prediction models with cold carcass weight (CCW) and VIA measurement the coefficient of determination (k-fold-R 2) were 0.458 and 0.532 for FQ and HQ, respectively. On the other hand, employing the most comprehensive model (CCW plus all VIA measurements), the k-fold-R 2 increased from 0.494 to 0.887 and 0.513 to 0.878 with respect to the simplest model (only with CCW), while precision increased with the reduction in the root mean square error (2.958 to 0.947 and 1.841 to 0.787) for the hindquarter fat and lean percentage, respectively. With CCW plus VIA measurements is possible to explain the wholesale value cuts yield variation (k-fold-R 2 between 0.533 and 0.889). Overall, the VIA technology performed in the present study could be considered as an accurate method to assess the horse carcass composition which could have a role in breeding programmes and research studies to assist in the development of a value-based marketing system for horse carcass.