We present a lightweight, probabilistic mechanism for certifying aligned storage between participants in decentralized systems. Participants respond to randomized suffix queries by performing forward scans over their locally stored data and returning short response sequences. A verifier observes only overlap statistics between responses. We prove that the overlap probability is bounded above by the minimum storage density among participants, ensuring that high observed overlap implies all parties store a large fraction of the underlying dataset. This bound holds regardless of adversarial strategy: a single well-provisioned participant cannot "carry" an under-provisioned partner. The protocol's "+1" advancement rule introduces pointer desynchronization that causes naĂŻve Binomial models to overestimate tail probabilities by 2â3Ă. We establish rigorous security bounds through systematic simulation of Poisson-walk dynamics. For example, observing 10 or more matches out of 12 recorded elements rules out minimum density below 0.6 at the 2.4% significance level. Independent repetition amplifies confidence exponentially. The mechanism requires no cryptographic commitments per element, no global verifier, and reveals only O(m) randomly-selected elements per interaction. We analyze several natural adversarial strategiesâfabrication, selective answering, collusion, Sybil attacksâand show that none can increase overlap probability beyond what storage density allows. From a mechanism-design perspective, repeated suffix-walk interactions induce a game where aligned storage is the dominant strategy, enabling emergent consensus without central coordination. The protocol serves as a foundation for proof-of-aligned-storage in distributed systems and provides consensus weight based on demonstrated storage rather than computational power or stake. Throughout this paper, "proof" refers to statistical evidence under a well-validated probabilistic model, not a cryptographic zero-knowledge proof.
Purpose This study investigates the impact of transitioning from the proof-of-work (PoW) to the proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus protocol on the relationship between cryptocurrency volatility and energy shocks. Design/methodology/approach We exploit the random nature of the transition to the PoS consensus algorithm as a quasi-natural experiment. We analyze this issue for the volatility processes of four digital currencies with high market capitalization using GARCH models. Findings Our cross-sectional findings suggest that after the transition to the PoS consensus protocol, cryptocurrency volatility becomes significantly less responsive to energy market shocks. Originality/value The findings of this study advocate for the migration from the energy-intensive PoW consensus protocol to the more environmentally sustainable PoS protocol. Moreover, this study advances the literature on green finance by documenting a strong case for cryptocurrency stakeholders to switch to the PoS protocol.
Over the past two years, Hong Kong hasnât just talked about Web3 transformation â it has executed it. A sequenced rollout of real policies. A clear regulatory masterplan. A vision anchored in innovation and investor protection. Today, Hong Kong is emerging as one of the worldâs most credible and forward-looking regulated digital asset hubs. In my latest article, I break down how the SFCâs A-S-P-I-Re Roadmap, new licensing frameworks, custody standards, staking regulations, and tokenisation initiatives are reshaping the entire virtual asset landscape across 2024â2025. This is not just regulatory evolution â itâs regulatory engineering. đ Inside the article: ⢠The real meaning of âsame activity, same risk, same regulationâ ⢠How reforms are raising the bar for VATPs and market integrity ⢠Why Hong Kongâs digital asset roadmap is now a global reference point ⢠The rise of institutional-grade custody + cybersecurity requirements ⢠The strategic push behind Project Ensemble and tokenised finance ⢠How collaboration between the SFC, HKMA, and industry is driving safe innovation Hong Kongâs approach shows that a digital asset market can be innovative, resilient, and globally aligned â all at once.
The rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has led to growing concerns about data security and user privacy in the interactions within distributed systems. Decentralized Applications (DApps) in distributed systems consist of on-chain and off-chain functions, where on-chain functions are smart contracts running in the blockchain network, while off-chain functions operate outside the blockchain. Since smart contracts cannot access off-chain information, they cannot verify whether the off-chain functions, i.e. the software components, they interact with have been tampered or not. As a result, establishing mutual trust between the on-chain smart contracts and the off-chain functions remains a significant challenge. To address the challenge, this paper introduces TeeMAF, a generic framework for mutual attestation between on-chain and off-chain functions, leveraging Trusted Execution Environments (TEE), specifically Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX), SCONE (a TEE container on top of Intel SGX), and remote attestation technologies. This ensures that the deployed off-chain functions of a DApp execute in a provably secure computing environment and achieve mutual attestation with the interacting on-chain functions. Through a security analysis of TeeMAF, the reliability of deployed DApps can be verified, ensuring their correct execution. Furthermore, based on this framework, this paper proposes a decentralized resource orchestration platform (a specific DApp) for deploying applications over untrusted environments. The system is implemented on Ethereum and benchmarked using Hyperledger Caliper. Performance evaluation focusing on throughput and latency demonstrates that, compared to platforms without a mutual attestation scheme, the performance overhead remains within an acceptable range.
We estimate risk premia in the cross-section of cryptocurrency returns using the Giglio-Xiu (2021) three-pass approach, allowing for omitted latent factors alongside observed stock-market and crypto-market factors. Using weekly data on a broad universe of large cryptocurrencies, we find that crypto expected returns load on both crypto-specific factors and selected equity-industry factors associated with technology and profitability, consistent with increased integration between crypto and traditional markets. In addition, we study non-tradable state variables capturing investor sentiment (Fear and Greed), speculative rotation (Altcoin Season Index), and security shocks (hacked value scaled by market capitalization), which are new to the literature. Relative to conventional Fama-MacBeth estimates, the latent-factor approach yields materially different premia for key factors, highlighting the importance of controlling for unobserved risks in crypto asset pricing.
Consensus protocols are crucial for a blockchain system as they are what allow agreement between the system's nodes in a potentially adversarial environment. For this reason, it is paramount to ensure their correct design and implementation to prevent such adversaries from carrying out malicious behaviour. Formal verification allows us to ensure the correctness of such protocols, but requires high levels of effort and expertise to carry out and thus is often omitted in the development process. In this paper, we present IsabeLLM, a tool that integrates the proof assistant Isabelle with a Large Language Model to assist and automate proofs. We demonstrate the effectiveness of IsabeLLM by using it to develop a novel model of Bitcoin's Proof of Work consensus protocol and verify its correctness. We use the DeepSeek R1 API for this demonstration and found that we were able to generate correct proofs for each of the non-trivial lemmas present in the verification.
This paper documents the installation, configuration, and operation of a full Bitcoin node in a Linux environment, from manual compilation of the source code to complete synchronization with the network. The technical phases of the process are described, the main files generated by Bitcoin Core are analyzed, and the effects of the parameters txindex, prune, dbcache, maxmempool, and maxconnections are empirically studied. System resources during the block download (IBD) mechanism are also documented, and the operational importance of each resource is explained. This paper provides a solid foundation for future research proposals on Bitcoin node performance or for the development of blockchain data query tools.
Consensus mechanisms are the core of any blockchain system. However, the majority of these mechanisms do not target federated learning directly nor do they aid in the aggregation step. This paper introduces Proof of Reasoning (PoR), a novel consensus mechanism specifically designed for federated learning using blockchain, aimed at preserving data privacy, defending against malicious attacks, and enhancing the validation of participating networks. Unlike generic blockchain consensus mechanisms commonly found in the literature, PoR integrates three distinct processes tailored for federated learning. Firstly, a masked autoencoder (MAE) is trained to generate an encoder that functions as a feature map and obfuscates input data, rendering it resistant to human reconstruction and model inversion attacks. Secondly, a downstream classifier is trained at the edge, receiving input from the trained encoder. The downstream network's weights, a single encoded datapoint, the network's output and the ground truth are then added to a block for federated aggregation. Lastly, this data facilitates the aggregation of all participating networks, enabling more complex and verifiable aggregation methods than previously possible. This three-stage process results in more robust networks with significantly reduced computational complexity, maintaining high accuracy by training only the downstream classifier at the edge. PoR scales to large IoT networks with low latency and storage growth, and adapts to evolving data, regulations, and network conditions.
This study aims to systematically examine several scientific works related to blue carbon accounting in archipelagic regions and to explore the potential use of blockchain technology as an innovative solution for decentralized, transparent, and participatory carbon reporting. This study adopts a conceptual synthesis approach, The research also employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method, analyzing 11 selected articles from databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, DOAJ, and Google Scholar, published between 2014 and 2024. The findings reveal that although blue carbon ecosystems hold significant economic and ecological value, carbon reporting remains dominated by top-down approaches, with limited involvement of local stakeholders. Meanwhile, blockchain technology shows promise in addressing reporting challenges through a distributed ledger system, automated verification via smart contracts, and token-based incentive schemes. The study concludes that integrating blockchain into blue carbon accounting could enhance accountability, efficiency, and equity in carbon reporting. It also recommends conducting further empirical research within the Indonesian archipelagic context to validate these findings.
From July 1, 2025, Vietnam will replace its three-tier local government structure with a two-tier model, raising questions about how far legal decentralization can deliver more inclusive and collaborative governance in key sectors such as education. This article uses doctrinal legal analysis to examine the constitutional, organization- al, and fiscal architecture of the reform, focusing on the education decentralization decrees issued by the government. It asks how the two-tier model reallocates powers across the center, province, and commune, whether finance, performance indicators, and data governance rules are aligned with subsidiarity, fiscal equivalence, and trans- parent multilevel coordination, and which combinations of rules create a real scope for collaboration. The analysis finds that inclusive collaboration is most likely where devolved mandates are matched by predictable, equalized funding, clearly specified Education Management Information System (EMIS)-based information flows, and enforceable participation procedures, while ambiguous oversight clauses and frag- mented data systems risk precautionary recentralization, especially in capacity-con- strained provinces. The article concludes by proposing doctrinal benchmarks and a phased implementation roadmap to help policymakers translate the two-tier reform from formal devolution into operational collaboration in the education sector.
Forensische Notizen und Sicherungserklärung Beweishandhabung, Metadatenintegrität und Chain of Custody Geltungsbereich Diese Erklärung dokumentiert die Handhabung, Sicherung und Bewahrung digitaler Beweismittel im Rahmen des forensisch-wissenschaftlichen Gutachtens SIA Security Intelligence Artefact â Technologie, Software und Familien-Historie Aktenzeichen: INT-CODE-2025-BTC/ETH-CORE-ISABELSCHOEPSTHIEL bitte beachten Sie mein HELPME.md Beweishandhabung und Nicht-Veränderungs-Grundsatz Alle relevanten Dateien, einschlieĂlich Rohdaten, Quellmaterialien und dokumentarischer Artefakte, wurden in einen dedizierten Evidence-Ordner ĂźberfĂźhrt. Der interne Dateiinhalt wurde nicht verändert. Es wurden weder Code, Text, Metadaten, Autoreneinträge, Benutzerkennungen, Zeitstempel noch sonstige Provenienzangaben modifiziert. Insbesondere unverändert erhalten blieben: UrsprĂźngliche Ersteller und Mitwirkende gemäà Metadaten Benutzerkennungen und Autorschaftsspuren Zeitstempel, Hashes und interne Verlaufsdaten Programmiersprache, Workflow-Logik und interne Struktur Die ursprĂźngliche Herkunft und Urheberschaft jeder Datei ist damit vollständig forensisch auslesbar und beweissicher erhalten. Dateisystem-SicherungsmaĂnahmen Um eine weitere AusfĂźhrung, Verbreitung oder operative Nutzung potenziell schädlicher Workflows zu verhindern, wurden ausschlieĂlich externe Ordner- und Dateinamen auf Dateisystemebene angepasst. Diese MaĂnahmen beschränkten sich auf: Umbenennung von Ordnern und Top-Level-Dateinamen Deaktivierung von ausfĂźhrbaren oder workflow-auslĂśsenden Bezeichnungen Der Dateiinhalt, der Code und sämtliche Metadaten blieben unangetastet. Diese MaĂnahmen dienten ausschlieĂlich der Gefahrenabwehr bei gleichzeitiger vollständiger Beweissicherung. Ethischer und rechtlicher Kontext Im Rahmen der Sichtung wurden Hinweise auf schwere ethische und rechtliche VerstĂśĂe festgestellt, unter anderem: Unbefugte Datenmanipulation Datenmissbrauch und Datendiebstahl Aneignung geistigen Eigentums Invasive Profilierungs- oder Auswertungspraktiken Aus diesem Grund wurde die operative AusfĂźhrbarkeit neutralisiert, während die forensische Beweisstruktur vollständig erhalten blieb. Screenshot-basierte Beweissicherung Zur Dokumentation wurden an allen relevanten Stellen Screenshots erstellt und dem Evidence-Ordner beigefĂźgt. Die Screenshots: sind unbearbeitet und unbeschriftet enthalten die ursprĂźngliche Ordner- und Dateistruktur zeigen die sichtbaren Benutzernamen, Akteure und EigentĂźmer der jeweiligen Verzeichnisse Dadurch bleiben alle beteiligten Accounts, Strukturen und Verantwortlichkeiten objektiv nachvollziehbar. Forensische Integrität Alle MaĂnahmen wurden unter Einhaltung folgender Prinzipien durchgefĂźhrt: Keine Kontamination der Originaldaten Keine Veränderung von Metadaten Vollständige Nachvollziehbarkeit fĂźr unabhängige Forensik Sicherung der gerichtlichen Verwertbarkeit Alle Materialien sind hash-prĂźfbar, chain-of-custody-fähig und fĂźr externe Gutachten geeignet. Signatur und Verwahrung Unterzeichnet und bestätigt durch: Frau Isabel SchĂśps, geborene Thiel CyriakstraĂe 30c D-99094 Erfurt ThĂźringen, Deutschland Rolle: Autorin, Rechteinhaberin, Hauptverwahrerin ORCID (Person): 0009-0003-4235-2231 https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4235-2231/print ORCID (Institutionell / Projekt): 0009-0006-8765-3267 https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8765-3267/print Diese Erklärung ist Bestandteil der DOI-archivierten Chain of Custody und dient der rechtlichen, forensischen und menschenrechtlichen PrĂźfung. Englisch Forensic Notes and Preservation Statement Evidence Handling, Metadata Integrity and Chain of Custody Scope This note documents the handling, preservation, and safeguarding of digital evidence associated with the forensic-scientific work SIA Security Intelligence Artefact â Technology, Software and Family History Case Reference: INT-CODE-2025-BTC/ETH-CORE-ISABELSCHOEPSTHIEL Evidence Handling and Non-Alteration Policy All relevant files, including raw data, source materials, and documentary artefacts, were transferred into a dedicated Evidence directory for preservation and review. No internal file contents were modified. No code, text, metadata, authorship fields, user identifiers, timestamps, or embedded provenance information were altered. Specifically preserved without change: Original creators and contributors as recorded in file metadata User identifiers and authorship traces Timestamps, hashes, and internal history Programming language, workflow logic, and structural dependencies inside the files The original provenance and authorship of each file therefore remain fully readable and forensically extractable. File System Safety Measures To prevent any further unintended execution, propagation, or operational misuse of potentially harmful workflows, only external file and folder names were adjusted at the file-system level. These actions were limited to: Renaming folders and top-level file names Disabling executable or workflow-triggering identifiers No internal data, code, or metadata were altered. These measures were implemented solely to prevent further operational impact while preserving evidentiary value. Ethical and Legal Context During review, multiple files indicated serious ethical and legal concerns, including but not limited to: Unauthorized manipulation of data Data misuse and data theft Misappropriation of intellectual property Invasive profiling or exploitative data practices For this reason, operational execution was neutralized while forensic preservation was strictly maintained. Screenshot-Based Evidence Capture For evidentiary verification, screenshots were taken at each relevant stage and stored within the Evidence directory. The screenshots: Remain unedited and unlabelled Preserve original folder structures and visual context Display usernames, account identifiers, and responsible actors visible at the time of capture This ensures that all observed actors, file ownerships, and directory relationships remain objectively documented and reviewable. Forensic Integrity All actions taken were designed to satisfy the following principles: No contamination of original data No destruction or modification of metadata Full traceability for independent forensic analysis Preservation of evidentiary admissibility All materials are suitable for hash verification, chain-of-custody tracking, and independent expert review. Signature and Custodianship Signed and certified by: Frau Isabel SchĂśps, nĂŠe Thiel CyriakstraĂe 30c D-99094 Erfurt Thuringia, Germany Role: Author, Rights Holder, Principal Custodian ORCID (Individual): 0009-0003-4235-2231 https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4235-2231/print ORCID (Institutional / Project): 0009-0006-8765-3267 https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8765-3267/print This statement forms part of the DOI-archived Chain of Custody and is intended for legal, forensic, and human-rights review. Meine Referenz Datenbank, verknĂźpft mit meinem aktuellen GitHub-Account* Meine Ersuchen an die Vereinten Nationen - Bitte helfen Sie mir SchĂśps geb. Thiel, I. (2025). Meine Ersuchen an die Vereinten Nationen - Bitte helfen Sie mir (Zenodo.org). Zenodo.org, University of Harvard harvard.edu, Oxford University ox.ac.uk, Cambridge UK, Reuters.com, New York Times nyt.com, Springer Nature Springer.com, GitHub github.com, University Arizona, Vereine Nationen UN unric.org,. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18025762 Zenodo-Datenbank und Chain of Custody Volumen 4 SchĂśps (Thiel), I., SchĂśps (Thiel), I. und SchĂśps geb. Thiel, I. (2025) "Yellow White Paper â Bitcoin & Ethereum", Yellow White Paper â Bitcoin & Ethereum. 1st Aufl. D-99094 Erfurt, Thueringa, Germany: Harvard University, University Cambridge, University of Oxford, Springer Nature, Zenodo, S. 109 pages. doi:10.5281/zenodo.17807324. Volumen 3 SchĂśps geb. Thiel, I. (2025) SIA Security Intelligence Artefact â Volume 3 - Familiäre Erblinie deutschen Monarchie und letzten Kaiserreich. 1st Aufl, The Decline and Fall of the Habsburg Empire, 1815-1918. 1st Aufl. Zenodo, University Harvard Cambridge Press, Oxford University Press Lizenz-ID 6131130060979, Springer Verlag. doi:10.5281/zenodo.18013057. Volumen 2 SchĂśps geb. Thiel, I. (2025) "Volumen 2 - SIA-Security-ntelligence-Artefact-Chain-of-Custody-Forensische-Familien-Monarchielinie-copyright-isabelschoepsthiel-urheberin-autorin-.docx.pd", Trillion Dollar Bitcoin. 1st Aufl. D-99094 Erfurt, Germany, ThĂźringen: Zenodo, University Harvard Cambridge Press, Oxford University Press Lizenz-ID 6131130060979, Springer Verlag. doi:10.5281/zenodo.17852789. Volumen 1 SchĂśps geb. Thiel, I. (2025) "Volumen 1 - SIA Security Intelligence Artefact by Isabel Schoeps geb. Thiel", Trillion Dollar Bitcoin. 1st Aufl. D-99094 Erfurt, Germany, ThĂźringen: Zenodo, University Harvard Cambridge Press, Oxford University Press Lizenz-ID 6131130060979, Springer Verlag. doi:10.5281/zenodo.17809724. My Developer Signatur Signed-on-by: Frau Isabel SchĂśps, geborene Thiel Autorin, Urheberin und Auftraggeberin Rechtscharakter: Eidesstattliche Versicherung, Bestandteil des forensisch, wissenschaftlichen Gutachtens Titel: SIA Security Intelligence Artefact internationinternationale Kennung: INT-CODE-2025-BTC/ETH-CORE-ISABELSCHOEPSTHIEL OrcID: 0009-0003-4235-2231 Isabel SchĂśps Thiel OrcID: 0009-0006-8765-3267 SI-IST Isabel SchĂśps Aktueller Wohnort und Meldeanschrift: Cyriakstrasse 30c, D-99094 Erfurt, ThĂźringen, Deutschland, gemeinsam mit meinen vierbeinigen Freund, American XL-Bully Don Offizielle institutionelle WĂźrdigung, Danksagung - Präfix_Referenz: YWP-1-IST-SIA YWP-1-5-IST-SIA Pseudonyme und Alias: Satoshi Nakamoto, Vitalik Buterin, GitHub, Octocat, Johnny Appleseed, IST-GitHub, Cristina_Bella, Nick Szabo, John Appleseesd Offizielles weltweit erstes Developer Certifikat: Developercertificate <img width="642" he
Contemporary organizational ecosystems are critically vulnerable in third-party risk management frameworks due to centralized databases, fragmented documentation systems, and manual processes of assessment. Traditional approaches result in huge inefficiencies through redundant audits, version control complexities, and delayed responses for compliance along multi-jurisdictional vendor networks. The blockchain architecture introduces a fundamental architectural transformation through distributed ledger mechanisms, creating immutable audit trails, cryptographic verification protocols, and decentralized trust formation across organizations. The article reviews how blockchain works as an integrity infrastructure within regulatory technology ecosystems, allowing the automation of compliance through smart contracts, making transparent records available for authorized stakeholders, and removing single-point vulnerabilities from centralized control systems. The technical mechanisms for implementation include immutable vendor record systems, which integrate fragmented documentation into unified, tamper-proof ledgers; smart contract automation that allows deterministic outcomes in governance; and distributed assurance networks, which allow audit verification among multiple organizations. Regulatory dimensions are related to preserving privacy through hybrid on-chain and off-chain architectures, legal recognition challenges of smart contracts within jurisdictional frameworks, and ethics in governance requirements for human input within automated ecosystems of decisions. Implementation challenges involve the complexity of legacy system integration, the development of a structure for consortium governance, scalability constraints, and the scarcity of talent. Future trajectories include hybrid ecosystems, integrating blockchain's immutability with advanced analytics, tokenized reputation frameworks, and integrations with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital identity systems toward next-generation vendor risk governance.
Oral diseases constitute a global public health crisis, affecting nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide [1]. They cause pain, disability, and economic loss, with their highest burden falling on vulnerable and marginalized populations [1,2]. This crisis is exacerbated by a widespread systemic failure: c [3]. This exclusion frames oral health as a discretionary rather than an essential service, rendering cost a primary barrier to access [4]. Africa exemplifies the severe consequences of this global neglect. The continent is projected to experience the largest relative increase in oral diseases by 2030, driven by urbanization, dietary changes, and the persistent low prioritization of oral health [3,5,6]. The prevailing clinic-centric, curative model is not only misaligned with regional demographics, resource constraints, and cultural contexts [7] but also replicates a global paradigm that uses high cost as a rationale for exclusion rather than as an impetus for innovating equitable, preventive solutions. Therefore, the challenge in Africa is a pressing demonstration of the need for a paradigm shift in how oral health is valued and delivered.The persistent inadequacy of oral health care in Africa is a deeply entrenched structural problem, rooted in systemic and self-perpetuating deficiencies that are more than a simple shortfall of resources or logistics. This structural failing is evident in the severe maldistribution and shortage of the oral health workforce, where the low dentist-to-population ratio, frequently reaching 1:100,000, stands in stark contrast to ratios around 1:2,000 in high-income countries [2,6]. This scarcity is exacerbated by a maldistribution of care providers, with most dental facilities concentrated in urban centers [8]. Consequently, rural populations, which constitute the majority in many African countries [9], face geographic barriers to accessing care [10]. Compounding this is the policy and financing neglect, as oral health remains excluded from most UHC schemes and primary care policies [11], resulting in catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditures for many households [12]. In the absence of political will and dedicated preventive funding, the oral health burden is normalized for marginalized populations due to a lack of [11][12][13].In the absence of accessible and affordable professional care, populations often resort to traditional or complementary remedies [14]. While these remedies are often effective for basic hygiene, they lack an evidence base for managing acute conditions, potentially leading to delayed presentation and health complications [15]. Yet, the prevailing clinic-centric model, derived from Western biomedical frameworks, creates a systemic cultural and institutional disconnect by overlooking and not strengthening indigenous health practices and community-based oral health care traditions, thereby widening the access gap [15,16]. The cumulative effect is a situation where a preventable condition like dental caries can progress to a life-threatening infection and chronic oral pain [17]. This disconnect is exacerbated by infrastructural and technological inequities, where limited preventive public health infrastructure and uneven digital access reinforce disparities rather than resolve them [18]. The cycle is perpetuated by dental education curricula that remain focused on curative, clinical care, offering minimal training in community-based prevention, cultural competence, or the integration of traditional knowledge systems [16]. Collectively, these intertwined factors create a system in which oral diseases are treated late [19][20][21], and late access to treatment is systematically sustained by the very structures designed to combat them.While it is known that prevention remains the most viable option to address oral disease [1] and a strategic necessity to achieve health equity, reduce healthcare costs, and improve overall quality of life [22]. The critical question is how to implement it effectively within the African socio-economic and cultural landscape. Mitigating the oral health crisis in Africa requires fundamental structural reorientation toward community-embedded, preventive, and culturally intelligent models of care. The aim of the study is to advocate for a shift away from the current prevailing model of oral healthcare in Africa, and to propose a new, community-embedded, home-based primary preventive model.The conventional oral healthcare model, which relies on encouraging clinic attendance for preventive check-ups and education, is rooted in a Western biomedical framework and fails to account for the geographic, financial, and cultural barriers that limit clinic access, thereby exacerbating health inequities. It is ill-suited to the infrastructure, economic realities, and cultural practices of many lowresource settings in Africa as it inherently places the onus of cost, time, and travel on the individual, thereby disproportionately disadvantaging rural and low-income communities. This raises a pivotal question: in settings where transportation costs are significant considerations, and where cultural beliefs often prioritize home-based and community-advocated remedies [15,16], is a clinic-based model for prevention justifiable?For Africa, where a more equitable, efficient, and culturally intelligent model of delivering oral health care is needed, alternative(s) must be explored. A viable path forward is a reorientation towards home-based and community-driven primary prevention. This is a call to re-engineer the ecosystem, positioning the household as the primary locus of prevention, supported by a strengthened public health infrastructure that actively incorporates indigenous knowledge and hands the responsibility of prevention to empowered communities. This model aligns with the WHO's building blocks approach by focusing on community ownership and integrating oral health into broader health initiatives [23].Advocating for a home-based, community-embedded model of oral health prevention does not diminish the fundamental responsibility of governments and health systems to ensure population health. Rather, this paradigm shift represents a strategic reorientation toward primary prevention, anchored by robust public health infrastructure, targeted professional development, and equitable distribution of tools and knowledge. The model's success wholly depends on this systemic support; without it, responsibility is devolved onto individuals and communities, exacerbating the very inequities it seeks to address. The proposed model, therefore, envisions a synergistic partnership, positioning the household and community as the frontline of daily prevention-actively fortified by the state through funded preventive programs, subsidized access to essentials like fluoride toothpaste, and culturally sensitive training curricula [24]. Ultimately, the goal is to avoid making people responsible for outcomes beyond their control due to inadequate support. Instead, the model empowers them within a framework of shared responsibility, where public health infrastructure enables effective self-care and community action, thereby transforming the locus of care without abandoning the population.This proposed model offers several distinct advantages, with an emphasis on cultural leverage. First, a preventive approach is economically prudent. Evidence indicates that population-based preventive programs yield a high return on investment: for every USD invested in community-based oral disease prevention, up to USD 50 in treatment costs can be saved [25]. Empowering individuals, households, and communities with the knowledge and tools for effective self-care, including the use of affordable fluoride toothpaste, sugar consumption limitation, and other dietary strategies, can prevent a significant proportion of oral diseases, thereby alleviating financial pressure on both households and the overstretched public health systems.Second, a key, yet underutilized, strategy is the respectful engagement with and leverage of culturally resonant health promotion, often embodied by community-based actors like traditional healers. As demonstrated in YorĂšbĂĄ culture, songs, proverbs, and folklore are powerful tools for embedding health messages [15,16]. Public health campaigns can leverage these existing oral traditions to disseminate messages about oral hygiene, reframing modern practices like fluoride toothpaste use within the context of cultural values such as spiritual balance, personal dignity (iyi), and social respectability [16].Although the integration of culturally resonant health promotion is often promoted through the integration of traditional healers into formal health systems [26], this integration approach remains unresolved, facing challenges related to training standardization, regulatory frameworks, and scope of practice [27,28]. Our proposal does not suggest that traditional healers can or should replace absent dentists or solve systemic human resource shortages in isolation. Rather, it advocates for a complementary and collaborative model. Community Health Workers (CHWs) and respected community figures, including some traditional healers who share a language and worldview with the community, can be trained as oral health promoters. Their role would be to champion the complementary use of evidence-based prevention alongside trusted cultural practices, such as the use of chewing sticks with known antimicrobial properties [29,30]. This can bridge the trust gap and transform cultural barriers into facilitators. The proposed model is not an alternative to building a robust health workforce but a necessary, parallel investment to extend its reach and impact sustainably. It seeks to 'task-share' health promotion and simple prevention, not 'task-shift' the full burden of clinical care. This strategy needs to use a dual approach: 1) Strengthening the economic, human, and physician resources of the formal oral health system remains a non-negotiable priority for managing disease and handling referrals. 2) Simultaneously, empowering community-based networks to deliver primary prevention. This decolonizes the approach by valuing indigenous knowledge systems while anchoring them within a strengthened public health infrastructure that can provide oversight, training, and a clear referral pathway.Third, the environmental impact of health care delivery is an emerging concern. Clinic-based models necessitate frequent patient travel, consuming fuel, and generating carbon emissions [31]. Furthermore, complex restorative treatments for advanced disease consume more materials and energy, contributing to medical waste [32]. A home-based prevention model inherently reduces the carbon footprint of oral health care by minimizing unnecessary travel, reducing disease incidence, and diminishing the demand for resource-intensive curative procedures [33].Fourth, digital health technologies present a transformative opportunity to overcome geographic barriers. The proliferation of mobile phone networks enables the use of tele-dentistry, allowing CHWs to perform basic screenings and receive remote guidance from dental professionals [34]. Smartphone penetration in Africa is growing rapidly, increasing from 64% in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024 to 75% in 2025 [35]. Mobile health (mHealth) applications can deliver standardized oral hygiene instruction, including culturally tailored animations using local music and proverbs, dietary advice, and preventive reminders in local languages. This task-shifting and tele-guidance approach, validated in programs for oral health [36], can expand the reach of oral healthcare systems without requiring more dentists [37].Table I provides a summary of the argument presented in the paper by systematically contrasting the limitations of a clinic-centric model with the proposed household-focused, community-supported alternative preventive model. The paradigm shift is a move from a clinic-centric model to one that relocates the primary locus of preventive oral healthcare by empowering and enhancing self-care at the individual household level, which is reinforced by a network of support within the community. This is achieved through several key changes outlined in the table, including the shift from the professional dental clinic to the household, establishing it as the frontline for daily prevention, while the community becomes the supportive ecosystem. Key actors are expanded beyond oral healthcare professionals to include individuals, caregivers, CHWs, teachers, and traditional healers. This creates a multi-layered support system that guides, educates, and reinforces positive self-care practices within everyday life. The approach becomes culturally intelligent, leveraging indigenous knowledge, oral traditions, and technology to make evidence-based self-care practices more resonant, sustainable, and responsive to local resources. The proposed model transforms prevention from a periodic clinical event focused on managing disease by an external authority (the dentist) into a continuous, community-embedded practice for sustained health and well-being managed by empowered individuals. Implementing this paradigm shift faces significant systemic challenges that demand strategic and context-sensitive solutions to prevent the inadvertent perpetuation of health inequities. First is the need for sustained political will to reorient national health budgets from a curative to a preventive focus, including the integration of oral health into UHC schemes and primary care policies [11].Innovative financing, such as earmarked taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages shown to be effective in Africa [38], alignment of donor investments with frameworks like the African Union's Agenda 2063 through domestication into national development plans, coordinated partnerships, and leveraging various financing mechanisms [39], and the reallocation of funds from high-cost tertiary procedures to community-based prevention can yield a high return on investment for this program.Second, addressing workforce gaps requires scaling training for CHWs and traditional healers without compromising quality. This necessitates a standardized, accredited curriculum focused on core preventive competencies (identifying early signs of caries and gingivitis, delivering motivational interviewing for fluoride toothpaste use and sugar reduction, using a validated mobile app for risk assessment and capturing images for tele-consultation, and applying a simple referral algorithm based on symptoms to designated primary care dental units), supported by ongoing supervision and telementorship from dental professionals [37], alongside continuous professional development and clear scope-of-practice guidelines to ensure safety and clarity [27,28]. The digital divide presents another barrier; although smartphone penetration is rising [35], uneven access and literacy risk widening disparities [18]. A hybrid approach combining mHealth apps for connected users [36] with low-tech solutions like SMS reminders, interactive voice response, and community radio in local languages, shown to be effective [40], is essential for inclusive reach.Furthermore, tele-dentistry and community screening must be formally linked to clinical care through structured referral protocols. Clear guidelines, supported by mobile diagnostic tools for CHWs [34], should define urgent red-flag conditions, establish feedback loops for follow-up, and integrate seamlessly with existing primary care networks to avoid siloed systems. Finally, cultural and logistical sensitivities must be navigated with care. Potential resistance from professional associations can be mitigated through the co-creation of guidelines and evidence-sharing. Respect for the intellectual property of traditional knowledge, credited inclusion of cultural custodians in program design [16], and transparent, long-term community engagement are all vital to building trust and reinforcing the complementary, not replacement, role of cultural practices within an evidencebased prevention framework. The goal is to establish every household as its own first line of defense, supported by the consistent practice of evidence-based prevention, such as twice-daily use of fluoride toothpaste and reduction in sugar consumption, which remains one of the most effective public health interventions for dental caries [41,42], while respecting and incorporating culturally validated selfcare practices.To realize this vision, a phased, adaptive implementation strategy is essential to pilot, refine, and scale the model effectively as outlined in Table 2. By deeply embedding prevention into community and primary care structures, a resilient oral health ecosystem capable of enduring with reduced reliance on external funding can be fostered. Successful implementation requires multisectoral governance, actively involving Ministries of Health, Education, Local Government, and Finance. National Oral Health Prevention Guidelines must be co-developed with communities and strategically aligned with overarching frameworks such as the WHO's Framework for Integrated People-Centred Health Services [43] and the African Union's Health Strategy 2016-2023 [44]. A robust monitoring and evaluation framework is needed to track progress through key indicators like the reduction in early childhood caries incidence, coverage metrics such as the proportion of households with access to affordable fluoride toothpaste, workforce data on the number of trained CHWs and traditional healers per district, and perceived quality measures of patient satisfaction and cultural relevance. Further strengthening resilience would require promoting the local production of affordable fluoride toothpaste to ensure a reliable supply, create economic opportunities, and reduce import dependence [45,46]. It is time to move beyond attempting to retrofit a Western, clinic-centric model onto the complex realities of Africa. The future of oral health in Africa lies in decentralizing prevention, democratizing care, leveraging technology, integrating with primary care, and, most importantly, empowering communities by drawing upon their immense cultural and human capital. This model reimagines health systems as enablers of prevention. It calls for governments, professionals, and communities to co-create a cost-effective, sustainable, and scalable oral health ecosystem where prevention is accessible, culturally resonant, and systematically supported as an ethical and practical imperative to mitigate the growing epidemic of oral disease on the continent. Ultimately, the sustainability of this paradigm shift hinges on parallel reforms in dental education, producing graduates who are as proficient in cultural humility and community partnership as they are in clinical science.
Kummari Santhosh Kumar, Nadiminti Shaik Mahammad Haneef, Tholla Umesh Chand, Dr. Manjunatha N
The Decentralized Record Management System for Land Data using Blockchain Technology aims to improve the security, transparency, and reliability of land record management. Traditional land record systems are mostly centralized and manual, which makes them prone to fraud, data manipulation, delays, and loss of records. This project proposes a blockchain-based solution to securely store and manage land ownership details, transactions, and historical records in a tamper-proof and transparent manner. By using blockchain technology, all land records are stored in a distributed ledger that cannot be altered once recorded. Each transaction, such as land registration or ownership transfer, is verified and added as a new block, ensuring data integrity and traceability. Smart contracts are used to automate processes like ownership transfer and verification, reducing human intervention and increasing efficiency. Only authorized users can access or update records, ensuring data privacy and security.
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Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support Systems
Financial identity systems were built for humans. Know-Your-Customer (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and beneficial ownership frameworks assume that economic actors are natural persons or legally incorporated entities. That assumption no longer holds. Autonomous artificial intelligence agents now negotiate contracts, execute procurement, trade digital assets, allocate treasury capital, and conduct cross-border transactions without real-time human intervention. Yet these agents possess no formal financial identity. This article introduces Know-Your-Agent (KYA)âa governance framework that extends financial identity infrastructure beyond humans to autonomous systems. Article argue that AI agents operating in financial contexts must be identifiable, accountable, auditable, and risk-classified. We develop a layered identity architecture, outline an agent risk scoring model, explore behavioral drift monitoring, analyze legal liability structures, and examine regulatory implications across jurisdictions. Through detailed use cases in retail procurement, decentralized finance (DeFi), enterprise treasury management, and IoT payment ecosystems, we demonstrate why KYA is not optional but foundational for the next generation of digital trust infrastructure. The article concludes with a strong future research agenda spanning explainability standards, cross-jurisdictional identity portability, agent-to-agent contract governance, systemic risk modeling, and the emergence of AI insurance markets.
In this work, we utilize the blockchain transactions and financial instruments to pre-dict the Bitcoin price using machine learning. We use three models: Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), Decision Tree Regressor and Random Forest Regressor applied on a feature set which includes lagged close prices, 14-day Simple Moving Av-erage (SMA), Relative Strength Index (RSI) and daily confirmed Bitcoin transactions. The data is temporally aligned and pre-processed to maintain temporal coherence, as well as for conversational fluency. Through the results assessment by means of RMSE MAE, MAPE and R², we can found that Random Forest model has results closer to best performance with values of: 264.81 (RMSE); 175.41(MAE); for MAPE is 0.27% and; R² equals to 0.9958. Our findings also lend strong support for the effectiveness of simul-taneously considering not only blockchain-specific market variables but also tradi-tional financial predictors towards improved model performance and generalization. Our findings underscore the importance of raw blockchain transaction data for pre-dicting cryptocurrency prices, and present a new tool for data-based decision making in decentralized finance.
This chapter explores the complex process of imagining postimperial orders in Northern Eurasia. It focuses on Siberian Regionalism and the agency of Buryat and Sakha Indigenous intellectuals and politicians during Russiaâs imperial transformations around the 1905 and 1917 revolutions. Siberian Regionalism, originating in the middle of the nineteenth century, advocated for a self-governing, decolonized Siberia within a transformed imperial framework. Indigenous intellectuals adapted these ideas to protect their languages and cultures against settler colonialism and Russification, emphasizing self-government as crucial for survival. The 1905 Revolution accelerated political self-organization, with Buryat congresses calling for territorial autonomy and Sakha activists seeking inclusion in local governance and cultural rights. During the 1917 Revolution, Indigenous leaders and Siberian Regionalists collaboratively advanced visions of a decentralized Russia, contributing to the establishment of the Buryat-Mongol Autonomy and Sakha inclusion in zemstvo self-government. Although Siberian Regionalismâs influence waned during the Civil War, Indigenous movements persisted, later aligning with Bolshevik autonomy promises. Siberian Regionalist approaches to territorial autonomy remained relevant when designing the Yakut and Buryat Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republics. This chapter highlights diverse Indigenous and regionalist approaches to shaping postimperial futures amid global decolonization dynamics, challenging the notion of a linear transition from empire to nation-states.
Smart contract technology facilitates self-executing agreements on the blockchain, eliminating dependency on an external trusted authority. However, smart contracts may expose vulnerabilities that can lead to financial losses and disruptions in decentralized applications. In this work, we evaluate deep learning-based approaches for vulnerability scanning of Ethereum smart contracts. We propose VASCOT, a Vulnerability Analyzer for Smart COntracts using Transformers, which performs sequential analysis of Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bytecode and incorporates a sliding window mechanism to overcome input length constraints. To assess VASCOT's detection efficacy, we construct a dataset of 16,469 verified Ethereum contracts deployed in 2022, and annotate it using trace analysis with concrete validation to mitigate false positives. VASCOT's performance is then compared against a state-of-the-art LSTM-based vulnerability detection model on both our dataset and an older public dataset. Our findings highlight the strengths and limitations of each model, providing insights into their detection capabilities and generalizability.
Smart contracts are increasingly being adopted in modern supply chain (SC) systems, offering a transformative shift from traditional centralized models to decentralized, automated, and trustless processes. However, vulnerabilities in the chain of smart contract represent a critical threat to the reliability and security of supply chain ecosystems, often arising from intricate logical flaws, unintended inter-contract interactions, or improper handling of user inputâissues that remain difficult to uncover through conventional testing or manual auditing. This paper introduces an innovative deep learningâbased methodology that transforms smart contract bytecode into image representations, enabling precise and efficient classification of diverse vulnerability patterns. Unlike existing approaches that rely on source code availability or dynamic execution, the proposed framework operates independently of source code and circumvents the limitations inherent to dynamic analysis, thereby offering a versatile and system-agnostic solution. Experimental evaluations conducted on a newly curated dataset collected from multiple publicly available repositories demonstrate the robustness of the proposed method, achieving 92.24% accuracy and an 89.06% F1-score. Beyond its strong empirical performance, the framework ensures reproducibility, data transparency, and adaptability across heterogeneous blockchain environments. Collectively, these contributions establish a comprehensive and accessible foundation for enhancing the detection, mitigation, and overall resilience of blockchain smart contracts.
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and Hardware Security
A sharing framework based on Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) and Proxy Re-encryption (PRE) technologies offers a promising solution for sharing Student Electronic Academic Records (SEARs). As core credentials in the education sector, student records are characterized by strong identity binding, the need for long-term retention, frequent cross-institutional verification, and sensitive information. Compared with electronic health records and government archives, they face more complex security, privacy protection, and storage scalability challenges during sharing. These records not only contain sensitive data such as personal identity and academic performance but also serve as crucial evidence in key scenarios such as further education, employment, and professional title evaluation. Leakage or tampering could have irreversible impacts on a studentâs career development. Furthermore, traditional blockchain technology faces storage capacity limitations when storing massive academic records, and existing general electronic record sharing solutions struggle to meet the high-frequency verification demands of educational authorities, universities, and employers for academic data. This study proposes a dedicated sharing framework for studentsâ electronic academic records, leveraging PRE technology and the distributed ledger characteristics of blockchain to ensure transparency and immutability during sharing. By integrating the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) with Ethereum Smart Contract (SC), it addresses blockchain storage bottlenecks, enabling secure storage and efficient sharing of academic records. Relying on optimized ZKP technology, it supports verifying the authenticity and integrity of records without revealing sensitive content. Furthermore, the introduction of gate circuit merging, constant folding techniques, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) hardware acceleration, and the efficient Bulletproofs algorithm alleviates the high computational complexity of ZKP, significantly reducing proof generation time. The experimental results demonstrate that the framework, while ensuring strong privacy protection, can meet the cross-scenario sharing needs of student records and significantly improve sharing efficiency and security. Therefore, this method exhibits superior security and performance in privacy-preserving scenarios. This framework can be applied to scenarios such as cross-institutional academic certification, employer background checks, and long-term management of academic records by educational authorities, providing secure and efficient technical support for the sharing of electronic academic credentials in the digital education ecosystem.
Anthony Chidi Nzomiwu, Scholastica Chidkodilri Uzondu
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) signifies not just a technological advancement but a profound transformation in financial governance, shifting power from traditional hierarchical intermediaries to autonomous, self-executing code. This article, grounded in institutional economics and legal theory, posits that DeFi introduces a novel governance framework in which trust is embedded in deterministic protocols rather than vested in individuals or institutions. By examining the four fundamental DeFi primitivesâdecentralized exchanges, lending platforms, programmable derivatives, and automated financial operationsâwe illustrate how programmable rules disintermediate conventional fiduciary responsibilities and enforcement mechanisms. A detailed case study of Compoundâs governance evolution highlights both the potential for increased efficiency and the rise of new accountability challenges. We identify a critical tension: while automated rule enforcement minimizes transaction costs and mitigates principal-agent issues, it concurrently diminishes contestability, adaptability, and avenues for redressâelements vital for robust financial systems. The article concludes by proposing a hybrid governance framework that retains the efficiency of code while reintroducing deliberative safeguards, providing pathways for regulators, protocol developers, and scholars to navigate the re-integration of finance in a post-intermediary landscape.
As vulnerability research increasingly adopts generative AI, a critical reliance on opaque model outputs has emerged, creating a "trust gap" in security automation. We address this by introducing Zer0n, a framework that anchors the reasoning capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) to the immutable audit trails of blockchain technology. Specifically, we integrate Gemini 2.0 Pro for logic-based vulnerability detection with the Avalanche C-Chain for tamper-evident artifact logging. Unlike fully decentralized solutions that suffer from high latency, Zer0n employs a hybrid architecture: execution remains off-chain for performance, while integrity proofs are finalized on-chain. Our evaluation on a dataset of 500 endpoints reveals that this approach achieves 80% detection accuracy with only a marginal 22.9% overhead, effectively demonstrating that decentralized integrity can coexist with high-speed security workflows.