The Ebola virus epidemic burst in West Africa in late 2013, started in Guinea, reached in a few months an alarming diffusion, actually involving several countries (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, and Mali). Guinea and Liberia, the first nations affected by the outbreak, have put in place measures to contain the spread, supported by international organizations; then they were followed by the other nations affected. In the present EVD outbreak, the geographical spread of the virus has followed a new route: the achievement of large urban areas at an early stage of the epidemic has led to an unprecedented diffusion, featuring the largest outbreak of EVD of all time. This has caused significant concerns all over the world: the potential reaching of far countries from endemic areas, mainly through fast transports, induced several countries to issue information documents and health supervision for individuals going to or coming from the areas at risk. In this paper the geographical spread of the epidemic was analyzed, assessing the sequential appearance of cases by geographic area, considering the increase in cases and mortality according to affected nations. The measures implemented by each government and international organizations to contain the outbreak, and their effectiveness, were also evaluated.

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Herein, we present the first paper-based device for facing one of the worldwide concerns of the Modern age: the corrosioninduced deterioration of reinforced concrete. Indeed, the monitoring of corrosion extent in reinforced concrete constructions has been acknowledged as a priority for public safety. In this work, the porosity properties of a paper-based screenprinted Ag/AgCl electrode were exploited for realising a smart analytical tool to be directly applied on the solid surface of concrete for the evaluation of corrosion. The analysis was carried out by measuring the electrochemical potential between the metallic reinforcement and the sensor, needing only 70 μL of electrolyte solution. The sensor was firstly tested in the laboratory using reinforced concrete samples and then applied on the real outdoor artwork Music Collection Session by Arman (Milan, Italy). A summary of the main available nondestructive techniques for corrosion monitoring is reported to provide a critic overview.

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