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Slate typically possesses a pronounced layered structure and tends to soften when exposed to water, leading to numerous detrimental effects on the construction of related underground projects. In this study, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was first performed to investigate the mineral composition of the typical slate from Changsha, China. Then, uniaxial and triaxial compression tests under varying bedding angles (i.e., 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°) and moisture levels (i.e., dry state, natural state, and saturated state) were conducted to explore the anisotropy characteristics and susceptibility to water-induced softening of the slate. The results reveal that: (1) The exposure of slate to water exacerbates the deterioration of its layered structure, making it more prone to shear failure along the bedding planes. Furthermore, the energy released during shear-slip damage is reduced, which is macroscopically manifested by the decrease in slate brittleness and the increase in plasticity. (2) The slate's compressive strength, elastic modulus, and cohesion vary in a U-shaped pattern with the increase in bedding angles. However, Poisson's ratio and internal friction angle are slightly affected by the bedding angle and water content, which do not exhibit a clear variation pattern. (3) In addition, the formulations for strength and stiffness predictions of slate were also discussed in this study. The results show that the modified Hoek–Brown criterion characterizes the uniaxial and triaxial compressive strengths of slate more accurately, and the generalized Hooke's Law more effectively predicts the elastic modulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standing for over 800 years, the pagoda of Dinglin Temple in Nanjing, a city in eastern China, is the world's most leaning tower on record. Prior to restoration work performed by an engineering team in China, the tower leaned towards the northwest at an angle of 7°59′ due to uneven settlement of the foundation and the overall integral stability of the tower was nearly critical. Inspired by a method used to move important cultural relics, the first use of an integrated bundling technology to rectify this tilted ancient masonry pagoda is reported. The leaning angle of the tower was successfully reduced by 2°23′ through a combination of deviation-rectifying and foundation-strengthening reinforcement measures. After this deviation rectification, the pagoda of Dinglin Temple now leans by approximately 5°36′ compared with an angle of 3°59′ for the leaning tower of Pisa. It thus remains the world's most leaning tower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungi play a pivotal role in fermentation processes, influencing the breakdown and transformation of metabolites. However, studies focusing on the effects of fungal-metabolite correlations on leaf fermentation quality enhancement are limited. This study investigated specific metabolites and fungi associated with high- and low-quality fermented plant leaves. Their changes were monitored over fermentation periods of 0, 8, 16, and 24 days. The results indicated that organoheterocyclic compounds, lipids, lipid-like molecules, organic nitrogen compounds, phenylpropanoids, and polyketides were predominant in high-quality samples. The fungi Saccharomyces (14.8%) and Thermoascus (4.6%) were predominantly found in these samples. These markers exhibited significant changes during the 24-day fermentation period. The critical influence of fungal community equilibrium was demonstrated by interspecies interactions (e.g., between Saccharomyces and Eurotium ). A co-occurrence network analysis identified Saccharomyces as the primary contributor to high-quality samples. These markers collectively enhance the quality and sensory characteristics of the final product., Competing Interests: Authors LX, JSL, JL, ZY, ZC, and WC were employed by the company China Tobacco Sichuan Industrial Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xing, Lei, Liu, Yang, Chai, Cai, Zhang, Meng, Wang and Yin.)