Three epochs on estimating the parameter values of thermodynamic Sharpe-Schoolfield-Ikemoto (SSI) model describing the relation of temperature and insect development rate.

The SSI model describes the relationship between temperature and development rate of insect based on the laws of thermodynamics. The greatest feature of the SSI model curve is that it defines the "Intrinsic optimum temperature for the development of ectotherms". However, this model has 8 parameters, it was extremely difficult to estimate the values of these parameters from experimental data.

Novel Method of Specifying Low and High Threshold Temperatures Using Thermodynamic SSI Model of Insect Development.

For ectotherms such as insects, their low- and/or high-temperature tolerance is one of the most important traits not only for their physiological as well as ecological and evolutional processes. Here, we review the temperature tolerance of insects in relation to their development and suggest a novel method of specifying low and high threshold temperatures. To date, the upper and lower critical thermal threshold for development as Tmin and Tmax, respectively, which are derived from nonlinear empirical models, has been extensively used.

Confidence interval of intrinsic optimum temperature estimated using thermodynamic SSI model.

The intrinsic optimum temperature for the development of ectotherms is one of the most important factors not only for their physiological processes but also for ecological and evolutional processes. The Sharpe-Schoolfield-Ikemoto (SSI) model succeeded in defining the temperature that can thermodynamically meet the condition that at a particular temperature the probability of an active enzyme reaching its maximum activity is realized. Previously, an algorithm was developed by Ikemoto (Tropical malaria does not mean hot environments.

Tropical malaria does not mean hot environments.

If global warming progresses, many consider that malaria in presently malaria-endemic areas will become more serious, with increasing development rates of the vector mosquito and malaria parasites. However, the correlation coefficients between the monthly malaria cases and the monthly mean of daily maximum temperature were negative, showing that the number of malaria cases in tropical areas of Africa decreases during the season when temperature was higher than normal. Moreover, an analysis of temperature and development rate using a thermodynamic model showed that the estimated intrinsic optimum temperatures for the development of the malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and P.