BACKGROUND:Dog-assisted interventions (DAIs) to improve human health and wellbeing are increasingly implemented in health, care and educational settings. However, the quality and consistency of reporting of trial design and findings remains poor. Current trial reporting guidelines do not adequately address the unique methodological, ethical, and welfare considerations involved in DAI randomised controlled trials (RCTs). To improve the design and transparent reporting of these trials, we developed SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) 2025 and CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) 2025 extensions for DAI trials. The current paper presents the explanation and elaboration (E&E) for these extensions. METHODS:Using the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) methodological framework, a four-phase consensus approach was conducted: (1) a systematic review; (2) three-round Delphi survey; (3) expert consensus workshops, and (4) checklist finalisation. This E&E paper complements the DAI extensions checklist (reported elsewhere) by providing item-by-item rationales, guidance, and illustrative examples from DAI trials to demonstrate good reporting. RESULTS:The four-phase consensus approach resulted in 69 extensions for DAI RCT reporting (35 applied to SPIRIT; 34 applied to CONSORT). This paper explains the purpose of each extension item and highlights best practice for reporting, based on examples from published DAI protocols and trial reports. CONCLUSION:These DAI extensions provide guidance for the design and reporting of high-quality and transparent DAI RCTs. This E&E paper supports the application of these extensions by offering detailed explanations and examples. Adoption by researchers, journal editors, funders, and ethics committees may enhance the credibility and impact of DAI research.
Although above ground biomass (AGB) inventory provides critical information for sustainable ecosystem management, credible metrics assaying AGB remain a significant challenge. Projecting AGB dynamics, can be enhanced by understanding technological processes and products, thereby isolating the “myths from reality”. Generally, “myths” tacitly presuppose map aptness, whereas “reality” create awareness to proceed with caution by exhibiting imperfections that not only enhance knowledge but create new opportunities for innovation on remedial strategies. Other than data issues (i.e., complexity, heterogeneity, scarcity, accessibility), factors influencing scientific integrity and accuracy in AGB quantification include efficacy of measurement tools, robustness of algorithm, and systemic error in generalized map products smoothened after mosaicking. Here, AGB quantification at variable scales particularly for heterogeneous landscapes are explicated, and limitations of generalization exposed. Consideration is given to the mixed pixels challenge in digital imagery with emphasis on related technology flaws that exacerbate misclassification. The effects of heterogeneity in ground dataset and contribution to product accuracy are explicated. A case study of an unadulterated detailed AGB map output from multi-platform datasets is previewed to show real map aspect prior to generalization which is ordinarily subjective. Future opportunities are advanced for transferable metrics and models that incorporate a minimum data set of key covariates and fusion of multi-platform datasets.
LuFeO3 (LFO) is a perovskite oxide with promise for optical and electroceramic applications. In the present study, LFO and Co-substituted compositions (LFO, LuFe0.95Co0.05O3, and LuFe0.90Co0.10O3) were synthesized by a conventional solid-state route and characterized by SEM, Raman spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance, and broadband dielectric/impedance measurements. Co substitution alters the powder microstructure, yielding more irregular agglomerates composed of finer sub-units than undoped LFO. Dielectric spectra showed that the loss tangent (tanδ), the dissipation factor, of investigated samples was below 1 over the studied temperature–frequency window. It was seen that Co substitution decreased dielectric loss in the mid-to-high frequency region but raised low-frequency loss at advanced temperatures. The real part of impedance Z^' declined with both temperature and frequency, and Nyquist plots displayed depressed arcs, indicating non-Debye behavior with distributed grain and grain-boundary contributions. Arrhenius analysis of relaxation maxima yielded activation energies of ∼ 0.32–0.76 eV, consistent with oxygen-vacancy energies. Raman spectra revealed Co-induced lattice perturbations, including mode broadening/attenuation and red-shifts in the 200–600 cm− 1 range, together with a strengthened stretching feature near 600–650 cm− 1. Kubelka–Munk analysis was utilized to determine the band gaps of the studied samples, 2.19 eV (LFO), 2.29 eV (5
Dynamic analysis of structures is one of the most essential techniques for designing earthquake-resistant structures in high-seismicity areas such as the Tehran metropolis. The selection of the acceleration time history of previous earthquakes for utilization in the dynamic analysis is challenging while the chosen ground motions must be not only proportionate to the seismic capacity of the region but also matched a target response/design spectrum. The uniform hazard spectrum (UHS), derived from probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), comprises large spectral values at all periods and is too conservative when used as a target for scaling ground motions. An alternative approach is to use the conditional mean spectrum (CMS), which provides a response spectrum conditioned on a spectral acceleration value associated with a unique target period. This alternative procedure is introduced as an appropriate method for selecting and scaling proper ground motions to be used as input for structural dynamic analysis. This study develops the conditional mean spectrum for selected sites in the Tehran region. To this end, a comprehensive PSHA was conducted for the metropolis of Tehran. Subsequently, employing the UHS obtained from the PSHA and the results of the subsequent deaggregation process, the CMS was generated for different sites in the region. The distinction between the CMS and the UHS significantly influences the dynamic behavior of various structural systems in the region. For short-period structures, such as low-rise buildings, the CMS effectively mitigates the unrealistically high spectral accelerations predicted by the UHS at longer periods, resulting in a more rational distribution of seismic demands. In contrast, for long-period structures, including high-rise buildings, the CMS alleviates the overly conservative short-period spectral accelerations associated with the UHS. This results in more realistic force–deformation demands and an improved representation of expected structural responses. Consequently, the application of the CMS directly impacts seismic design decisions and material requirements. The results indicate that CMS-based design can reduce unnecessary conservatism and associated construction costs, particularly for structures sensitive to long-period demands. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the design spectra of the Iranian Seismic Code should be re-evaluated, especially for near-fault sites, to better reflect period-dependent seismic hazard characteristics.
Cover crops can cycle nitrogen (N) in corn (Zea mays L.) production systems by absorbing this highly mobile nutrient during the winter and early spring and releasing it during the growth of the next crop. To better understand the N dynamics in a no-till cover crop-corn cropping system, we measured the decomposition and N release of three cover crops—cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), and a rye-vetch mix in 2021, 2022, and 2023 in Nebraska. We also measured corn yield without N fertilizer inputs following the cover crops. In 2021 and 2023, the cereal rye and mix treatments produced more biomass than hairy vetch, while in 2022, the cover crop biomass production was similar across treatments. In all three years, hairy vetch had a higher rate of biomass decomposition and N release, followed by mixture and cereal rye treatments. Between 50 and 67
