Purpose-Reducing inequity in accessing healthcare among rural and remote populations remains a problem. Internationally, eHealth is now touted as a potential solution, with a range of diverse approaches and impacts. Yet, the equity gains of implementing eHealth are often not realized due to a lack of effective strategies for citizen participation. The purpose of this paper is to present the background to, and results of, a multidisciplinary eHealth assistance project in a remote region of the Brazilian Amazon, highlighting the importance of citizen participation within planning processes. Design/methodology/approach-The project was conducted in three phasespremission, mission, and post-mission. Discussions were held between health teams and local community leaders, and were coordinated by government health organizations in partnership with the Amazon State University. A multidisciplinary team visited five remote communities in the Brazilian Amazon, where participants underwent clinical assessment using eHealth technologies within pharmacy, cardiology, dermatology, and/or odontology. Analysis and second opinion were provided by relevant specialists and the results were delivered electronically to local healthcare teams. Findings-A total of 111 patients were evaluated with an average age of 54 years. There were several important findings following specialist second opinion, which improved the quality of care they received. These comprise identifying drug interactions and patients requiring further investigation for cardiological and dermatological complaints, including suspected malignancy. Research limitations/implications-Due to a breakdown in communication, data from the post-mission phase are lacking, particularly regarding treatment outcomes. Furthermore, the authors did not perform an analysis of cost-effectiveness. If eHealth technologies are to become part of routine clinical practice it is important that the financial implications are acceptable. Originality/value-This project demonstrates how equity can be designed for with a multidisciplinary approach to eHealth activities in rural and remote environments within Brazil. Such activities typically focus on one particular area, yet primary healthcare facilities see patients with a variety of problems.

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Space exploration is conducted in unique environments, such as on low-Earth orbit platforms, onboard planetary and deep space probes, and operations on the surface of the Moon and the planets (4). The characteristics of these environments and the structures needed to support human life, as well as the difficulties and costs of travel from Earth, make it impossible for medical teams to assist astronauts personally. Therefore, a solution was sought to ensure the welfare of the space travelers.The need for communication in space and between Earth and space set new frontiers for the development of telecommunication technologies and computational systems, encouraging innovative ideas to spread. This rapid process of evolution has promoted amazing modifications in almost all aspects of daily human life (1). One such advance was telemedicine, which involves the use of technological tools for the acquisition, storage and transmission of health data, and enables virtual meetings among professionals located in different parts of a region, country, or even the world (5,6).The diffusion of telecommunication technologies at low cost has made possible the implementation of a wide range of telemedicine systems supporting clinical practices in different regions of the world (7). It has the potential to enable health planning, research, education, clinical discussion, and obtaining second opinions to take place (3).The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been involved in the application of telemedicine since the earliest days of human spaceflight. Telemedicine is critical to the success of missions involving humans and has been an integral part of the health care delivery system for the space program from the beginning (4). This technology has been adapted for Earth-based application and can play an important role in a large country such as Brazil. Many areas of Brazil are remote and difficult to access, with hazardous environments that make it problematic and costly to provide adequate health care to the local populations. This problem can be further compounded by additional complexities such as uneven distribution of financial resources and severe social problems, making improvements in health assistance in remote areas more difficult. This results in delays in the diagnosis, treatment, and adequate management of medical conditions. As was found in space programs, telemedicine, e-health, and computerbased guidelines have proven to be optimal tools for overcoming these circumstances, enabling easier access to remote diagnosis and providing support to clinical decisions.The Microgravity Centre/FENG (Faculty of Engineering) at PUCRS (Pontificia University Catholic of Rio Sul) has developed a telemedicine project with the main aim of making specialized medical assistance available to remote communities, as those found in the Amazon region, using telecommunication systems, mobile technologies, and biomedical engineering as tools. Dermatology and odontology, with the support of pathology, were the medical special...

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A caracterização metalográfica de duas peças metálicas, coletadas no sítio arqueológico da Redução de São João Batista, na Região das Missões (RS), teve como seu principal objetivo iniciar as investigações sobre a origem de uma cruz, encontrada na cidade de Camaquã (RS), cujos registros têm evidenciado sua existência desde 1857. Indícios históricos permitem considerar a hipótese de que a Cruz de Camaquã possa ser a mesma desaparecida do Templo de São Miguel Arcanjo. Amostras das peças metálicas, de escória e da pedra itacuru (utilizada como minério na Redução) foram analisadas com o auxílio da microscopia eletrônica de varredura e da microanálise por EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy). As inclusões encontradas na microestrutura dessa cruz são similares às inclusões encontradas nas peças metálicas coletadas em São João Batista. A analogia entre os elementos químicos dessas inclusões, comparados às amostras de escória e de pedra itacuru, não descarta a possibilidade de a cruz encontrada ter sido fabricada nos altosfornos da Redução São João Batista. Palavras-chave: Sete Povos das Missões (RS). Arqueologia. Microscopia eletrônica de varredura.