Charitable giving role-modeling: parent transmission frequency and adolescent reception

Experiments indicate that adult role-modeling of giving has a causal effect on giving done by children, but a previous investigation using data from a natural setting suggests zero causal effect of parent role-modeling on their adolescents' giving. This article presents new evidence about the divergent findings: (i) parent giving does not automatically translate into adolescents knowing that their parents give, and (ii) adolescents are much less likely to know that their parents give if parents give from time-to-time. The results suggest new experimental designs that randomize (a) the frequency of role-modeling, (b) communication approaches that explain role-modeling actions to children, and (c) whether the receiving organization is in-group or out-group. The practical implications of the results are that frequent giving by a parent is necessary for adolescents to successfully 'receive' the role model, but may not be sufficient. Purposeful communication is needed to ensure that adolescents know that their parents are giving.

Mosaic RBD nanoparticles protect against challenge by diverse sarbecoviruses in animal models

To combat future severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants and spillovers of SARS-like betacoronaviruses (sarbecoviruses) threatening global health, we designed mosaic nanoparticles that present randomly arranged sarbecovirus spike receptor-binding domains (RBDs) to elicit antibodies against epitopes that are conserved and relatively occluded rather than variable, immunodominant, and exposed. We compared immune responses elicited by mosaic-8 (SARS-CoV-2 and seven animal sarbecoviruses) and homotypic (only SARS-CoV-2) RBD nanoparticles in mice and macaques and observed stronger responses elicited by mosaic-8 to mismatched (not on nanoparticles) strains, including SARS-CoV and animal sarbecoviruses. Mosaic-8 immunization showed equivalent neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicrons, and protected from SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV challenges, whereas homotypic SARS-CoV-2 immunization protected only from SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Epitope mapping demonstrated increased targeting of conserved epitopes after mosaic-8 immunization. Together, these results suggest that mosaic-8 RBD nanoparticles could protect against SARS-CoV-2 variants and future sarbecovirus spillovers.

Differences Between the Strength of Preference-Performance Coupling in Two Rice Stemborers (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae, Crambidae) Promotes Coexistence at Field-Plot Scales

Two stem-boring moths, the yellow stemborer (YSB) Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker), and the striped stemborer (SSB), Chilo suppressalis (Walker), damage rice in Asia. YSB is the dominant species in much of tropical Asia. Both species are oligophagous on domesticated and wild rice. We investigated the roles of host plant preferences and larval performance in determining the larval densities of both species in rice plots. In screenhouse experiments, YSB showed significant preference-performance coupling. Adults preferred high-tillering rice varieties during early vegetative growth. In contrast, SSB did not demonstrate oviposition preferences under the same screenhouse conditions, but did oviposit less on the wild rice Oryza rufipogon Griff. than on domesticated rice varieties during a choice experiment. Despite differences in preference-performance coupling, larval survival and biomass across 10 varieties were correlated between the two species. YSB and SSB larvae occurred in relatively high numbers on rice varieties with large tillers (IR70, IR68, and T16) in wet and dry season field experiments. However, whereas YSB was the dominant species on IR68 and IR70, it was relatively less abundant on T16, where SSB dominated. Results suggest that YSB preferentially attacked fast-growing rice varieties with high tiller numbers early in the crop cycle. Meanwhile SSB, which has weak preference-performance coupling, occurred in rice plants with large tillers that were relatively free of YSB later in the crop cycle. These factors may allow the species to coexist. We discuss the implications of proximate and ultimate factors influencing stemborer co-occurrence for the sustainable production of rice in tropical Asia.

The burden of household out-of-pocket health expenditures in Ethiopia: estimates from a nationally representative survey (2015-16)

In Ethiopia, little is known about the extent of out-of-pocket health expenditures and the associated financial hardships at national and regional levels. We estimated the incidence of both catastrophic and impoverishing health expenditures using data from the 2015/16 Ethiopian household consumption and expenditure and welfare monitoring surveys. We computed incidence of catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) at 10% and 25% thresholds of total household consumption and 40% threshold of household capacity to pay, and impoverishing health expenditures (IHE) using Ethiopia's national poverty line (ETB 7184 per adult per year). Around 2.1% (SE: 0.2, P < 0.001) of households would face CHE with a 10% threshold of total consumption, and 0.9% (SE: 0.1, P < 0.001) of households would encounter IHE, annually in Ethiopia. CHE rates were high in the regions of Afar (5.8%, SE: 1.0, P < 0.001) and Benshangul-Gumuz (4.0%, SE: 0.8, P < 0.001). Oromia (n = 902 000), Amhara (n = 275 000) and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) (n = 268 000) regions would have the largest numbers of affected households, due to large population size. The IHE rates would also show similar patterns: high rates in Afar (5.0%, SE: 0.96, P < 0.001), Oromia (1.1%, SE: 0.22, P < 0.001) and Benshangul-Gumuz (0.9%, SE: 0.4, P = 0.02); a large number of households would be impoverished in Oromia (n = 356 000) and Amhara (n = 202 000) regions. In summary, a large number of households is facing financial hardship in Ethiopia, particularly in Afar, Benshangul-Gumuz, Oromia, Amhara and SNNP regions and this number would likely increase with greater health services utilization. We recommend regional-level analyses on services coverage to be conducted as some of the estimated low CHE/IHE regional values might be due to low services coverage. Periodic analyses on the financial hardship status of households could also be monitored to infer progress towards universal health coverage.