En Costa Rica, el cáncer de cérvix es el segundo tipo de cáncer femenino más común, a pesar de la accesibilidad del Papanicolaou gracias al sistema de salud universal. No se ha evaluado el nivel de conocimiento de la población adolescente sobre el cáncer de cérvix, aunque este grupo es el más expuesto a los factores de riesgo. Este estudio investigó cuánto sabe el adolescente sobre métodos de prevención, riesgo de infección, manifestaciones clínicas y servicios médicos. En total, 533 estudiantes de séptimo a doceavo año de cinco colegios públicos de la zona rural de San Carlos participaron en esta investigación durante marzo y abril 2012. Se observó que los estudiantes carecen de información, ya que solamente el 30.8% sabían qué es el cáncer de cérvix. Nuestros resultados indican que es importante incluir el cáncer de cérvix en los programas de educación sexual del sistema de educación pública de Costa Rica, para educar a la población en riesgo acerca de los métodos de prevención, desarrollo de la infección y servicios médicos.

In Costa Rica, cervical cancer is the second most common female cancer, despite accessibility of screening through the universal health care system. There is little understanding of knowledge levels of the adolescent population on cervical cancer, although this population is the most exposed to risk factors. This study sought to learn about male and female adolescent knowledge of preventative methods, infection acquisition, clinical manifestations and medical services. A total of 533 students from grades 7-12 from five public high schools in the rural San Carlos region participated in the study from March through April 2012. Students were found to lack knowledge, as only 30.8% of students stated that they knew what cervical cancer is. Additionally, a connection was lacking between cervical cancer concepts, as for example 75.2% of students had heard of Human Papiloma Virus, but only 33.9% of those students knew that HPV is related to cervical cancer. Age had a positive relationship with knowledge of main concepts (p≤0.001). More women than men had heard of cervical cancer and the Papanicolaou (p=0.025, p≤0.0001), but otherwise no significant difference in mean response between genders was found. Students were found to have a limited awareness of the educational cervical cancer campaign (7.7% of the student population) and the ability to go alone to the doctor to receive medical attention (30.6% of students). Additionally, the public education system does not require cervical cancer to be included in the present curriculum. Hence, as students lack education on prevention and risk factors, the majority of prevention responsibility falls only on the universal health care system to regularly perform Papanicolaou exams to detect pre-cancerous or cancerous changes. The findings indicated the importance of including cervical cancer in the sexual education curriculum of the public education system in Costa Rica to educate the at-risk population of preventative methods, infection development, clinical manifestations and medical services in order to lower the presence of cervical cancer. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (3): 877-886. Epub 2014 September 01.

Flor de Junio has grains of cream colored background with pink stripes; it is produced and consumed in the central region of Mexico. We describe the process for its gathering and Dalias features, a new variety of bean grain, Flor de Junio type, Jalisco race, obtained from the cross of Flor de Junio Silvia X Flor de Mayo Anita performed in the Bajío Experimental Field in 2003. The selection process was initially based on health and the cycle of the plant, as well as the commercial properties in grain crops under alternative irrigation and rainfed conditions. In its final phase, we conducted an assisted molecular marker selection (AMS) for selecting the offspring that had simultaneously the markers ROC11 and SW13, linked to genes I and bc3, whose pyramiding confers resistance to all pathotypes of BCMV and BCMNV viruses. Dalia has an indeterminate growth habit type 3, with medium size guides and intermediate growing season with 105 days from sowing for physiological maturity and is resistant to BCMV and BCMNV. In a national assessment of yield and adaptation, Dalia showed similar yielding of Flor de Junio Marcela, the dominant variety within the market, but contrasting with this, a none existent G*E interaction, which indicated a high adaptation and yield stability. Dalia is recommended for irrigated and rainfed production in the regions of El Bajío and highlands of central Mexico.

El frijol tipo Flor de Junio, cuyo color de grano es de fondo crema con franjas rosas, se produce y consume en la región Centro de México. Se describe el proceso de obtención y características de Dalia, una nueva variedad de frijol tipo Flor de Junio de raza Jalisco, derivada de la cruza de Flor de Junio Silvia por Flor de Mayo Anita realizada en el Campo Experimental Bajío en 2003. El proceso de selección se basó inicialmente en la sanidad y el ciclo de la planta, así como en las características comerciales del grano en siembras bajo condiciones alternas de riego y temporal. En su fase final se realizó selección asistida por marcadores moleculares (SAM) para seleccionar la progenie que tuviera simultáneamente los marcadores ROC11 y SW13, ligados a los genes I y bc3, cuya piramidación confieren resistencia a todos los patotipos de los virus BCMV y BCMNV. Dalia es de hábito de crecimiento indeterminado tipo 3, con guías de tamaño medio y ciclo de cultivo intermedio de 105 días de siembra a la madurez fisiológica, y resistente a BCMV y BCMNV. En un ensayo nacional de rendimiento y adaptación, Dalia mostró un rendimiento similar a Flor de Junio Marcela, la variedad dominante en el mercado, pero en contraste con ésta, una nula interacción genotipo por ambiente, lo que indicó amplia adaptación y estabilidad de rendimiento. Dalia se recomienda para producción bajo riego y temporal en las regiones de El Bajío y el Altiplano del centro de México.