Modernization of vocational education in the context of rural human resources development in China

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to study the experience of the development of rural vocational education since the reform and opening up, analyze and summarize the rapid development of rural vocational education in China in the context of rural human resources development. Methodology / approach. The methods adopted in this research are mainly literature research and thematic research. Through thematic research on vocational education-related fields since the reform and opening up, and analysis, research, and induction of policies, data, phenomena, and conclusions in various vocational education literatures, it forms an objective summary of the development of rural vocational education in China since the reform and opening up. Results. Reform and opening up is the most critical period for the rapid development of various industries in China, including vocational education. This paper studies the overall situation of the development of vocational education in China since the reform and opening up, the relationship between the development of rural vocational education and policy support at the national level is concluded, it demonstrates that rural vocational education is an important cornerstone of national construction and development, and the focus and characteristic of rural vocational education is to condense the Chinese experience of school-running characteristics, it also summarizes the main problems of rural vocational education in China. Originality / scientific novelty. A multi-dimensional analysis of the development of China’s rural vocational education in the 42 years of reform and opening up has been made, and conclusions have been drawn for the development of rural vocational education with Chinese characteristics. Practical value / implications. This paper analyzes the key factors for the success of rural vocational education in China through the study of China’s practice in the field of rural vocational education since the reform and opening up, it has certain reference significance for the future policy formulation and development of rural vocational education, promotes the development of rural human resources and increases the rate of urbanization

SCDNet: Self-Calibrating Depth Network with Soft-Edge Reconstruction for Low-Light Image Enhancement

Captured low-light images typically suffer from low brightness, low contrast, and blurred details due to the scattering and absorption of light and limited lighting. To deal with these issues, we propose a self-calibrating depth network with soft-edge reconstruction for low-light image enhancement. Concretely, we first employ the soft edge reconstruction module to reconstruct the soft edge of the input image and extract the texture and detail information of the image. Afterward, we explore the convergence properties of each input via the self-calibration module to significantly improve the computational effectiveness of the method and gradually correct the inputs at each subsequent level. Finally, the low-light image is iteratively enhanced by an iterative light enhancement curve to obtain a high-quality image. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our SCDNet visually enhances the brightness and contrast, restores the actual color, and makes the image more in line with the characteristics of the human eye vision system. Meanwhile, our SCDNet outperforms the compared methods in some qualitative and quantitative metrics

3D Bioprinting of a Bioactive Composite Scaffold for Cell Delivery in Periodontal Tissue Regeneration

Hydrogels have been widely applied to the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds via three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting because of their extracellular matrix-like properties, capacity for living cell encapsulation, and shapeable customization depending on the defect shape. However, the current hydrogel scaffolds show limited regeneration activity, especially in the application of periodontal tissue regeneration. In this study, we attempted to develop a novel multi-component hydrogel that possesses good biological activity, can wrap living cells for 3D bioprinting and can regenerate periodontal soft and hard tissue. The multi-component hydrogel consisted of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), sodium alginate (SA) and bioactive glass microsphere (BGM), which was first processed into hydrogel scaffolds by cell-free 3D printing to evaluate its printability and in vitro biological performances. The cell-free 3D-printed scaffolds showed uniform porous structures and good swelling capability. The BGM-loaded scaffold exhibited good biocompatibility, enhanced osteogenic differentiation, apatite formation abilities and desired mechanical strength. The composite hydrogel was further applied as a bio-ink to load with mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs) and growth factors (BMP2 and PDGF) for the fabrication of a scaffold for periodontal tissue regeneration. The cell wrapped in the hydrogel still maintained good cellular vitality after 3D bioprinting and showed enhanced osteogenic differentiation and soft tissue repair capabilities in BMP2- and PDGF-loaded scaffolds. It was noted that after transplantation of the cell- and growth factor-laden scaffolds in Beagle dog periodontal defects, significant regeneration of gingival tissue, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone was detected. Importantly, a reconstructed periodontal structure was established in the treatment group eight weeks post-transplantation of the scaffolds containing the cell and growth factors. In conclusion, we developed a bioactive composite bio-ink for the fabrication of scaffolds applicable for the reconstruction and regeneration of periodontal tissue defects</p

Exploring How Digital Technologies Enable a Circular Economy of Products

International audienceRecent studies have advocated that digital technologies (DTs) positively affect the transition of a linear economy model to a circular economy (CE) model and facilitate enterprises in implementing circular strategies. Despite this general statement, the literature still overlooks how enterprises should apply various DTs of Industry 4.0 across the entire product lifecycle to operationalize CE-related strategies. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a conceptual framework exploring DTs in terms of CE operationalization from the perspective of the product lifecycle. Based on insights gained through a systematic literature review, we clarify how DTs can facilitate CE performance objectives through the three stages of the product lifecycle: product design, product use, and product recovery or recycling. Furthermore, we study how various Industry 4.0 DTs, such as the Internet of things, big data, and cloud computing, are utilized to operationalize the transition toward a CE. DTs applied to the service-oriented product-service system contributes innovation into circular business models to make full use of idle resources and provide high-quality personalized services. We have adopted three performance objectives: using fewer materials and resources, extending product lifespan, and closing the loop to evaluate the effects of DTs in promoting CE development. By investigating how DTs affect CE performance objectives, the conceptual framework developed in this paper advances the knowledge regarding the role of DTs as an enabler of CE from the product lifecycle. Our findings provide a practical reference enabling researchers and managers to harness the potential of DTs to support CE transition

Exploring How Digital Technologies Enable a Circular Economy of Products

Recent studies have advocated that digital technologies (DTs) positively affect the transition of a linear economy model to a circular economy (CE) model and facilitate enterprises in implementing circular strategies. Despite this general statement, the literature still overlooks how enterprises should apply various DTs of Industry 4.0 across the entire product lifecycle to operationalize CE-related strategies. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a conceptual framework exploring DTs in terms of CE operationalization from the perspective of the product lifecycle. Based on insights gained through a systematic literature review, we clarify how DTs can facilitate CE performance objectives through the three stages of the product lifecycle: product design, product use, and product recovery or recycling. Furthermore, we study how various Industry 4.0 DTs, such as the Internet of things, big data, and cloud computing, are utilized to operationalize the transition toward a CE. DTs applied to the service-oriented product-service system contributes innovation into circular business models to make full use of idle resources and provide high-quality personalized services. We have adopted three performance objectives: using fewer materials and resources, extending product lifespan, and closing the loop to evaluate the effects of DTs in promoting CE development. By investigating how DTs affect CE performance objectives, the conceptual framework developed in this paper advances the knowledge regarding the role of DTs as an enabler of CE from the product lifecycle. Our findings provide a practical reference enabling researchers and managers to harness the potential of DTs to support CE transition