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Identifying an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) method for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be informed by comparing their performance with, and preference for, a range of communication modalities. Towards this end, the present study involved two children with ASD who were taught to request the continuation of toy play by: (a) signing MORE, (b) exchanging a picture card representing "MORE," and (c) touching a "MORE" symbol from the screen of a speech-generating device. The children were also given opportunities to choose among the three modalities to identify their preferred method of communication. Both children performed better with picture exchange and the speech-generating device than with manual signing, but had variable performance during follow-up. Both children more often chose the speech-generating device, suggesting a preference for that modality. We conclude that concurrent intervention across several communication methods can generate data to inform the selection of an AAC modality.

The article explores the concept of cross-cultural heterosexual relationship between the couples from Maori and Pakeha in New Zealand. A research which considered the lived experience of the couples who had been in the cross-cultural relationship revealed that most couples found challenging to be in a cross-cultural relationship due to the reason that they found it hard to accept other person's culture. However the same problem was also the binding factor in the relationship.

Abstract: Cosmopolitan nature of the marine bryozoan Electra pilosa was studied to clarify geographic structure and to outline evolution and phylogeography of the species. Several local populations from the Northeast Atlantic (North Sea and Baltic Sea), Arctic (Barents Sea and White Sea) and Indo-West Pacific (New Zealand) were compared. In addition, we examined the closely related species E. posidoniae from the Mediterranean Sea. Phylogenetic analysis based on both 16S and 18S rDNA indicate that the Indo-West Pacific E. pilosa is a sister species to the Atlantic–Mediterranean clade, with the latter including the species E. posidoniae and the Atlantic population of E. pilosa. The topology of the phylogenetic tree leads us to conclude that E. pilosa is a paraphyletic species group relative to E. posidoniae, and a molecular dating of its divergence is consistent to geologic events associated with the closure of the Tethys Sea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]