COVID-19 first lockdown as a window into language acquisition: Associations between caregiver-child activities and vocabulary gains

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting closure of daycare centers worldwide, led to unprecedented changes in children’s learning environments. This period of increased time at home with caregivers, with limited access to external sources (e.g., daycares) provides a unique opportunity to examine the associations between the caregiver-child activities and children’s language development. The vocabularies of 1742 children aged8-36 months across 13 countries and 12 languages were evaluated at the beginning and end of the first lockdown period in their respective countries(from March to September 2020). Children who had less passive screen exposure and whose caregivers read more to them showed larger gains in vocabulary development during lockdown, after controlling for SES and other caregiver-child activities. Children also gained more words than expected (based on normative data) during lockdown; either caregivers were more aware of their child’s development or vocabulary development benefited from intense caregiver-child interaction during lockdown

Herpesvirus saimiri-induced malignant lymphoma in inbred strain III/J rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Four young strain III/J rabbits of both sexes were inoculated with a single dose of prototype partially purified Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) via IV and IM routes. All inoculated animals had enlarged lymph nodes, and significant levels of antibodies to HVS early, late, and membrane antigens were detectable during the infection. The animals died or were killed and HVS was isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the various lymph nodes but not from the kidney. Microscopic examination showed that these animals had poorly differentiated lymphomas. The response of mononuclear cells to PHA from peripheral blood of infected animals showed depressed cell mediated immune responses. Humoral and cellular immunity responses during tumorigenesis were comparable to those reported in nonhuman primates with HVS-induced tumors. Thus, the inbred strain III/J appears to be an inexpensive suitable model for studies of oncogenic herpesvirus-induced cancers

COVID-19 first lockdown as a unique window into language acquisition: what you do (with your child) matters

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting closure of daycare centers worldwide, led to unprecedented changes in children’s learning environments. This period of increased time at home with caregivers, with limited access to external sources (e.g., daycares) provides a unique opportunity to examine the associations between the caregiver-child activities and children’s language development. The vocabularies of 1742 children aged 8-36 months across 13 countries and 12 languages were evaluated at the beginning and end of the first lockdown period in their respective countries (from March to September 2020). Children who had less passive screen exposure and whose caregivers read more to them showed larger gains in vocabulary development during lockdown, after controlling for SES and other caregiver-child activities. Children also gained more words than expected (based on normative data) during lockdown; either caregivers were more aware of their child’s development or vocabulary development benefited from intense caregiver-child interaction during lockdown