CLAD [BSA]

The degree to which an item is rated as being a typical member of its category influences an observer's ability to find that item during word-cued search. However, there are conflicting accounts as to whether or not typicality affects attentional guidance to categorical items, or whether it affects some other aspect of the search process. In this study, we employed word-cued search and eye tracking to disentangle typicality effects on attentional guidance and target verification across differing category cue specificities (i.e., superordinate or basic-level cues), while also varying the degree of similarity between targets and non-targets. We found that typicality influenced attentional guidance when searchers were cued at the superordinate level (e.g.,clothing). When cues were provided at the basic level (e.g.,pants), typicality did not influence attentional guidance, and only affected target verification when there was featural similarity between targets and non-targets. When a searcher uses a target template comprising features cued at the basic level, therefore, target/non-target similarity produces interference that affects attentional guidance, but we did not find evidence that it also affects target verification.

Microplastics, particularly microfibers, are ubiquitous, found in aquatic (freshwater and marine) and terrestrial environments and within the food web worldwide. It is well-established that microplastics in the form of textile fibers enter the environment via washing machines and wastewater treatment effluent. Less is known about the release of microfibers from electric clothes dryers. In this study we measure microfiber emissions from home installed dryers at two different sites. At each site the distribution of fibers landing on the snow's surface outside dryer vents and the weight of lint in dryer exhaust exiting dryer vents were measured. Fibers from the pink polyester fleece blankets used in this study were found in plots throughout a 30ft (9.14m) radius from the dryer vents, with an average number across all plots of 404 +/- 192 (SD) (Site 1) and 1,169 +/- 606 (SD) (Site 2). The majority of the fibers collected were located within 5 ft (1.52m) of the vents. Averages of 35 +/- 16(SD)mg (Site 1) and 70 +/- 77 (SD)mg (Site 2) of lint from three consecutive dry cycles were collected from dryer vent exhaust. This study establishes that electric clothes dryers emit masses of microfiber directly into the environment. Microfiber emissions vary based on dryer type, age, vent installation and lint trap characteristics. Therefore, dryers should be included in discussions when considering strategies, policies and innovations to prevent and mitigate microfiber pollution.