Heat-related mortality risks are a substantial component of the looming costs of climate change in the United States and globally. This article presents the results from a risk-risk survey to test whether U.S. respondents place a valuation premium on mortality risks from heat relative to cancer and transportation risks. The questionnaire exploits exogenous shocks to temperatures during a heat wave and randomized elements to further test whether preferences vary with heat exposure or the age of individuals exposed to heat risks. The results provide strong evidence that there is no valuation premium in the U.S. for heat-related risks. Subjects valued cancer risks twice as highly as heat and transportation risks, the latter of which are a common benchmark for general traumatic fatalities. While there is some evidence that subjects value heat risks more when exposed to a heat shock of approximately 3–4 °C, the size of the differential is too small to establish a statistically significant heat risk premium. Finally, subjects’ responses demonstrate no differential valuation of mortality risks to seniors versus the general population based on the preferences of the general population or the senior subsample.

This research examines whether high temperatures and exposure to childhood rainfall and heat shocks are a cognitive drag on children in Uganda. First, it asks whether students perform worse on a test on hotter days. Second, it examines whether previous longer-term exposure to high temperatures and unusual rainfall influences current test scores and educational outcomes. The analysis shows that high temperatures on test dates harm test performance, especially for girls and children younger than ten, implying additional temperature control considerations for particular demographics. The analysis of childhood climate shocks, which employs within-parish distributions of rainfall and heat, shows that children who experience rain or heat above the $80^{th}$ percentile of the parish distribution from birth until age 4 have worse learning outcomes in math, English, or local language literacy.

Malaria remains a major health challenge in developing countries, with climate change intensifying its impact. Pakistan is among the most vulnerable nations. This study examines the relationship between temperature and malaria cases in two highly affected districts, Bannu and Lakki Marwat, to inform climate-adaptive interventions.

We analyzed monthly malaria cases (2014–2022) from the Integrated Vector Control/Malaria Control Program in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, combined with gridded meteorological data from Copernicus ERA5-Land. Time-series analysis using distributed lag nonlinear models and quasi-Poisson regression was applied to assess the associations.

The findings suggest that as temperatures exceed 22.4°C, malaria transmission increases by 9 to 10% for every 1°C rise in both districts. In Bannu, up to 39.8% of reported malaria cases could be attributed to heat, while in Lakki Marwat, 54.1% of cases were attributable to heat. Under high emission scenarios, heat-related malaria cases could increase by 0.8 to 3.5% by the 2060s. Relationship between temperature and malaria transmission is complex and is influenced by environmental factors such as precipitation and humidity.

Given Pakistan’s limited healthcare infrastructure, addressing climate-driven malaria risks is urgent. Recent severe floods and malaria surges highlight the need for climate adaptation measures and strengthened healthcare systems to enhance community resilience.

Seeds rely on temperature to adjust their germination timing by modulating primary and secondary dormancy. The knowledge regarding an intraspecific variation in the germination responses to supra-optimal temperatures during imbibition within the Solanum lycopersicon species and its relation with pre- and post-harvest environments is limited. Here, we studied the impact of imbibition at 35°C in 17 genotypes selected from a multiparent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population. We discovered a high genetic variability in the germination responses to heat, leading to thermotolerance, thermoinhibition or thermodormancy with different depths. While thermodormancy appeared more profound than primary dormancy, there was no correlation between the deepness of primary and thermodormancy. Post-harvest treatments influenced considerably germination at supra-optimal temperatures. Dry storage beyond the apparent loss of primary dormancy led to an increased proportion of thermotolerant or thermoinhibited seeds at the expense of thermodormancy in a genotype-dependent manner, thereby revealing cryptic genetic variation. Prolonged cold imbibition also led to increased thermodormancy in genotypes that produced thermotolerant and thermoinhibited seeds. The thermal history before and after flowering influenced primary dormancy and the germination response to heat during imbibition in a genotype-dependent manner, with high temperatures leading to increased thermotolerance or thermoinhibition at the expense of thermodormancy, suggesting transgenerational plasticity despite the domestication of the species. The high potential of the MAGIC population for quantitative trait loci mapping and causal polymorphism identification will be helpful in deciphering the regulatory mechanisms that lead to the plasticity of thermoinhibition or thermodormancy, as well as their connection to the parental environment.

Effects of acute thermal exposures on appetite appear hypothetical in reason of very heterogeneous methodologies. The aim of this study was therefore to clearly define the effects of passive 24-h cold (16°C) and heat (32°C) exposures on appetitive responses compared with a thermoneutral condition (24°C). Twenty-three healthy, young and active male participants realised three sessions (from 13.00) in a laboratory conceived like an apartment dressed with the same outfit (Clo = 1). Three meals composed of three or four cold or warm dishes were served ad libitum to assess energy intake (EI). Leeds Food Preference Questionnaires were used before each meal to assess food reward. Subjective appetite was regularly assessed, and levels of appetitive hormones (acylated ghrelin, glucagon-like peptite-1, leptin and peptide YY) were assessed before and after the last meal (lunch). Contrary to the literature, total EI was not modified by cold or heat exposure (P = 0·120). Accordingly, hunger scores (P = 0·554) were not altered. Levels of acylated ghrelin and leptin were marginally higher during the 16 (P = 0·032) and 32°C (P < 0·023) sessions, respectively. Interestingly, implicit wanting for cold and low-fat foods at 32°C and for warm and high-fat foods at 16°C were increased during the whole exposure (P < 0·024). Moreover, cold entrées were more consumed at 32°C (P < 0·062) and warm main dishes more consumed at 16°C (P < 0·025). Thus, passive cold and hot exposures had limited effects on appetite, and it seems that offering some choice based on food temperature may help individuals to express their specific food preferences and maintain EI.

Measurements of the differential heats of K-Ca exchange are used to show that 6 groups of sites (ranging from −13.8 to −5.1 kJ/eq and with as many as 4 in any one sample) exist in kaolins that range from 0 to 15% in their 2:1 phyllosillicate content. These heat values, coupled with entropies of exchange, suggest that 0.1−10% vermiculitic, micaceous, and smectitic layers are present, presumably interstratified with kaolinitic layers which are assumed to have no permanent charge. Changes in the activity coefficients of adsorbed K with K saturation confirm these conclusions qualitatively. Thus, fK values at x ↑ 0 correlate inversely (r2 = 0.655) with the content of vermiculite + partially expanding micas, and x values at maximum fK indicate the content of vermiculite + nonexpanding mica + partially expanding micas (r2 = 0.732).

Indoor climate interventions are often motivated from a worker comfort and productivity perspective. However, the relationship between indoor climate and human performance remains unclear. We assess the effect of indoor climate factors on human performance, focusing on the impact of indoor temperature on decision processes. Specifically, we expect heat to negatively influence higher cognitive rational processes, forcing people to rely more on intuitive shortcuts. In a laboratory setting, participants (N=257) were exposed to a controlled physical environment with either a hot temperature (28° C) or a neutral temperature (22° C) over a two-hour period, in which a battery of validated tests were conducted. We find that heat exposure did not lead to a difference in decision quality. We did find evidence for a strong gender difference in self-report, such that only men expect that high temperature leads to a significant decline in performance, which does in fact not materialize. These results cast doubt on the validity of self-report as a proxy for performance under different indoor climate conditions.

Fire stimulates the germination of most seeds in fire-prone vegetation. Fruits of Leucadendron (Proteaceae) are winged achenes or nutlets that correlate with their requirements for smoke and/or heat in promoting germination. We describe five possible smoke–heat dormancy-release/germination syndromes among plants, of which Leucadendron displays three (no response, smoke only, smoke and heat). As seed-coat thickness varies with seed-storage location (plant or soil) and morphology (winged or wingless), we tested its possible role in water uptake and germination. Species with winged seeds achieved 100% germination in the absence of smoke/heat, seed coats were an order of magnitude thinner, and their permeability greatly exceeded that of nutlets. As seed-coat thickness increased (1) imbibitional water uptake declined at a decreasing rate, and (2) the response to smoke, and to a lesser extent heat, increased linearly to reach levels of germination approaching those of winged seeds. For species responsive to smoke and heat, there was no additive effect when applied together, suggesting that they may have promoted the same physiological process. We conclude that seed-coat thickness holds the key to germination requirements in this genus, independent of seed-storage location or morphology. By what mechanisms (1) the smoke response is greater the thicker the seed coat and (2) smoke chemicals might increase water permeability to explain the non-additive effect of smoke and heat, warrant further investigation.