Efficacy and Cost of Trap-Bait Combinations for Capturing Rhynchophorus palmarum L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Ornamental Palm Polycultures.

Ornamental palms are an economically important component of international trade yet have recently experienced yield losses in Mexico due to red ring and bud rot diseases, which are spread by Rhynchophorus palmarum L. Considering that massive capture is a common strategy to control this pest and the cost of commercial traps and baits could be inaccessible for small farmers, an inexpensive trap-bait combination is desired. In this study, 16 trap-bait combinations for capturing R. palmarum were assessed in ornamental palm polycultures over the course of 1 year. An expensive yellow bucket trap combined with aggregation pheromone + insecticide + banana was compared with inexpensive, handmade trap-bait combinations. A total of 4712 weevils were collected in all traps, of which 52.7% were male and 47.3% female. The efficacy of the handmade trap made from a colorless polyethylene bottle and baited with banana + pineapple + sugarcane + sugarcane molasses was similar to that of the yellow bucket trap baited with aggregation pheromone + insecticide + banana. These two trap-bait combinations remained effective even when the R. palmarum population significantly decreased during the dry, warm season. The affordable handmade trap baited with food attractants and without insecticides was highly efficient in capturing R. palmarum and therefore represents an effective tool for monitoring weevil populations. As ornamental crops have recently gained greater economic importance in the studied region, the use of a novel and cheap trap-bait combination could offer great benefits to producers and form part of the integrated management of R. palmarum.

A randomized study of mitoxantrone plus cytarabine versus daunomycin plus cytarabine in the treatment of previously untreated adult patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.

Between May 1985 and November 1988, 143 adult patients with previously untreated acute nonlymphocytic leukemia were randomized to receive mitoxantrone and cytarabine (MTT+Ara-C) or daunomycin and cytarabine (DNM+Ara-C) in order to compare the efficacy and acute and chronic toxicities. Therapy consisted of 3 days of MTT 12 mg/m2/i.v. or DNM 45 mg/m2/i.v.; both groups received Ara-C 100 mg/m2 daily by continuous infusion (CI) for 7 days. Those who failed to achieve a complete remission after one induction course received a second induction course for 2 and 5 days at the same doses. All the patients who achieved complete remission received two consolidations of 2 days of MTT or DNM and 5 days of Ara-C in CI at the same dose as for induction. Of the 72 patients on MTT+Ara-C, 38 (53%) achieved complete remission, compared with 29 (43%) of 67 treated with DNM+Ara-C. Three and 5 patients had partial remission, 7 and 18 failed to respond, 24 and 15 died in the first 21 days of induction, of those treated with MTT+Ara-C or DNM+Ara-C, respectively (p = 0.34). Median duration of complete remission and survival was 185 and 103 days or 165 and 160 days, respectively (p = 0.85). More early deaths were observed with MTT+Ara-C due to greater myelosuppression, and a higher incidence of failure with DNM+Ara-C. No significant differences between treatment groups were observed in 21 categories of adverse events. The results demonstrate similar incidence of complete response, length of duration of complete remission, overall survival, and toxicity with MTT+Ara-C and DNM+Ara-C.