Data Management Technology Research Articles

Optimizing Linked List-based Smart Contract on Ethereum with IPFS for E-book Management System

People are now widely adopting digital assets in various applications, integrating them into almost every aspect of their lives. Electronic books, or e-books, are one of the digital assets that result from the transformation of physical reading material into the digital world. Nowadays, blockchain is used in many industries because it provides immutable and transparent records. E-book publishers may take this opportunity to adopt blockchain technology for e-book data management. However, blockchain storage is limited; thus, storing the e-book files in blockchain is not recommended. A decentralized storage system, such as InterPlanetary Files Systems (IPFS), is an alternative way to store large files like e-books. IPFS can facilitate the storage of e-book files while the metadata is stored in the blockchain. The e-book metadata should be stored in a structured way for effective search and retrieval. E-book metadata could be added, deleted, and updated occasionally. Nevertheless, some data structures often struggle with dynamic collections of records. This paper proposes a linked list-based smart contract on Ethereum that integrates with IPFS for the e-book management system. We demonstrate the implementation of a linked list smart contract for insertion, deletion, update, retrieval, and traversal of the e-book’s metadata. The result shows that a linked list-based smart contract with IPFS could offer a robust solution for e-book data management. This solution provides more opportunities to explore further security and cryptography approaches toward a secure e-book management system.

Real-Time Industrial Data Analysis and Visualization

In the era of Industry 4.0, real-time data monitoring and analysis have become essential for enhancing operational efficiency and decision-making in industrial environments. This project focuses on the development of a comprehensive system for visualizing and analyzing real-time industrial data using a DHT11 sensor, which measures temperature and humidity. The collected data is transmitted and visualized through a dynamic web interface built on MyPHPAdmin, enabling users to access and interpret data seamlessly. The visualization aspect of the project aims to present the data in an intuitive format, allowing stakeholders to monitor environmental conditions effectively. Following the visualization phase, the data will undergo thorough analysis using advanced tools like Tableau and Excel, providing insights into patterns, trends, and anomalies in the industrial setting. This project not only demonstrates the integration of hardware and software technologies for real-time data management but also emphasizes the importance of data visualization and analysis in optimizing industrial processes. Ultimately, it serves as a foundation for further research and development in the field of industrial automation and data-driven decision-making.

Future Low-Cost Urban Air Quality Monitoring Networks: Insights from the EU’s AirHeritage Project

The last decade has seen a significant growth in the adoption of low-cost air quality monitoring systems (LCAQMSs), mostly driven by the need to overcome the spatial density limitations of traditional regulatory grade networks. However, urban air quality monitoring scenarios have proved extremely challenging for their operative deployment. In fact, these scenarios need pervasive, accurate, personalized monitoring solutions along with powerful data management technologies and targeted communications tools; otherwise, these scenarios can lead to a lack of stakeholder trust, awareness, and, consequently, environmental inequalities. The AirHeritage project, funded by the EU’s Urban Innovative Action (UIA) program, addressed these issues by integrating intelligent LCAQMSs with conventional monitoring systems and engaging the local community in multi-year measurement strategies. Its implementation allowed us to explore the benefits and limitations of citizen science approaches, the logistic and functional impacts of IoT infrastructures and calibration methodologies, and the integration of AI and geostatistical sensor fusion algorithms for mobile and opportunistic air quality measurements and reporting. Similar research or operative projects have been implemented in the recent past, often focusing on a limited set of the involved challenges. Unfortunately, detailed reports as well as recorded and/or cured data are often not publicly available, thus limiting the development of the field. This work openly reports on the lessons learned and experiences from the AirHeritage project, including device accuracy variance, field recording assessments, and high-resolution mapping outcomes, aiming to guide future implementations in similar contexts and support repeatability as well as further research by delivering an open datalake. By sharing these insights along with the gathered datalake, we aim to inform stakeholders, including researchers, citizens, public authorities, and agencies, about effective strategies for deploying and utilizing LCAQMSs to enhance air quality monitoring and public awareness on this challenging urban environment issue.

Innovating Civil Engineering: Strategies for Fostering Stakeholder Engagement in the Circular Economy

Sustainability and circular economy principles are increasingly important in civil engineering, as highlighted by the United Nations Environmental Programme in 2023 the construction activities represented 36% of global energy use in 2020. However, the sector's focus on reducing operational carbon overshadows the need for addressing embodied carbon from materials like cement, steel, and aluminium. To address this, a shift towards incentivizing all supply chain stakeholders and cultivating collaborative models is necessary. This research provides an initial scoping for the development of the Lithuanian Construction Materials Reuse Optimization (LSEPO) platform, a pioneering regional initiative fostering a marketplace for reused building materials. Such platforms are recognized for their potential to overcome sustainability barriers by utilizing digital technologies for efficient data management and stakeholder collaboration. Our research identifies a significant gap in the existing literature concerning effective stakeholder engagement strategies critical for the success of such platforms. To bridge this gap, we employed a three-tiered methodological approach: firstly, a semi-structured literature analysis delved into existing stakeholder engagement strategies within the circular economy. This review highlighted a fragmented understanding of incentives and collaboration dynamics across different sectors. Secondly, a content analysis of global material exchange and circular construction platforms provided insights into best practices, showcasing successful communication methods, innovative incentive models, and robust collaboration frameworks. Lastly, integrating these findings, our study proposes a conceptual stakeholder engagement framework tailored for social innovation in civil engineering, more specifically Lithuanian Construction Materials Reuse Optimization (LSEPO). Practical implications of our findings underscore the necessity for platforms like LSEPO to incorporate adaptive engagement strategies that are context-sensitive and inclusive, facilitating a broad spectrum of stakeholder inputs. The study demonstrates that effective stakeholder engagement goes beyond traditional communication methods; it requires a systemic integration of technological innovation and incentive alignment to promote sustained participation and collaboration. By providing a comprehensive foundation for the development of the LSEPO platform, this research not only aims to advance it as a beacon of social innovation and environmental stewardship within the civil engineering sector but also sets a benchmark for future initiatives aiming to embed circular economy principles effectively.

Using Blockchain Technology for Sustainability and Secure Data Management in the Energy Industry: Implications and Future Research Directions

In the current era of digital transformation, among the plethora of technologies, blockchain (BC) technology has attracted attention, carrying the weight of enormous expectations in terms of its applicability and benefits. BC technology promises immutability, reliability, transparency, and security of transactions, using decentralized models to scale up existing Internet of Things (IoT) solutions while guaranteeing privacy. In the energy industry, BC technology is mainly used to secure distributed power grids, which have proven to be easily hackable by malicious users. Recognizing the need for a preliminary analysis of the literature investigating the role of BC technology for sustainability and secure data management in the energy industry, this study conducts a bibliometric analysis, identifying the implications and research directions in the field. Specifically, a performance analysis and scientific mapping are performed on 943 documents using the Scopus database and the VOSviewer software version 1.6.20. The result is the identification of seven thematic clusters and the most relevant implications as well as future research actions at the strategic, technical, regulatory, and social levels. This study extends the literature by suggesting potential sustainability opportunities regarding BC technology adoption in the energy industry; it also supports managers in identifying strategies to strengthen business sustainability by leveraging the development of new knowledge for secure asset management.

Health data management practice and associated factors among health professionals working in public health facilities in Oromia Special Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveData and information are vital to the decision-making process surrounding health sector reform. In spite of the vast amounts of capital invested in the development of health information systems, health...

Barriers, Solutions, and Opportunities for Adapting Critical Care Clinical Trials in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for clinical trials worldwide, threatening premature closure and trial integrity. Every phase of research operations was affected, often requiring modifications to protocol design and implementation. To identify the barriers, solutions, and opportunities associated with continuing critical care trials that were interrupted during the pandemic, and to generate suggestions for future trials. This mixed-methods study performed an explanatory sequential analysis involving a self-administered electronic survey and focus groups of principal investigators (PIs) and project coordinators (PCs) conducting adult and pediatric individual-patient randomized trials of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible trials were actively enrolling patients on March 11, 2020. Data were analyzed between September 2023 and January 2024. Importance ratings of barriers to trial conduct and completion, solutions employed, opportunities arising, and suggested strategies for future trials. Quantitative data examining barriers were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data addressing solutions, opportunities, and suggestions were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Integration involved triangulation of data sources and perspectives about 13 trials, synthesized by an interprofessional team incorporating reflexivity and member-checking. A total of 13 trials run by 29 PIs and PCs (100% participation rate) were included. The highest-rated barriers (on a 5-point scale) to ongoing conduct during the pandemic were decisions to pause all clinical research (mean [SD] score, 4.7 [0.8]), focus on COVID-19 studies (mean [SD] score, 4.6 [0.8]), and restricted family presence in hospitals (mean [SD] score, 4.1 [0.8]). Suggestions to enable trial progress and completion included providing scientific leadership, implementing technology for communication and data management, facilitating the informed consent process, adapting the protocol as necessary, fostering site engagement, initiating new sites, streamlining ethics and contract review, and designing nested studies. The pandemic necessitated new funding opportunities to sustain trial enrollment. It increased public awareness of critical illness and the importance of randomized trial evidence. While underscoring the vital role of research in society and drawing the scientific community together with a common purpose, the pandemic signaled the need for innovation to ensure the rigor and completion of ongoing trials. Lessons learned to optimize research procedures will help to ensure a vibrant clinical trials enterprise in the future.

Smart IV Bag and Health Monitoring System for Hospitals and Remote Places Using IOT

The health monitoring system utilizing an ESP32 controller and Arduino Nano presents an innovative approach to enhance patient care through continuous real-time monitoring of vital health parameters. This system integrates various sensors, including ECG, DHT11, HX711, and an R305 fingerprint sensor, to collect comprehensive physiological data and ensure secure access. The ESP32 microcontroller processes this data, providing immediate local alerts via a buzzer and LED indicators, while the Arduino Nano manages the GSM module to send remote notifications to healthcare professionals. Furthermore, the system employs IoT capabilities to transmit data to cloud platforms, facilitating remote monitoring and analysis. By automating the monitoring process, this project reduces the workload on healthcare staff and ensures timely medical interventions, thereby improving patient outcomes. The system's ability to provide real-time data visualization, secure access control, and remote monitoring aligns with the growing need for connected and intelligent healthcare solutions. This comprehensive health monitoring system not only enhances patient safety and care efficiency but also supports the advancement of modern healthcare infrastructures through robust data management and communication technologies.

Building Energy Optimization using BIM: A Study on Institutional Building

Abstract: In many facets of the construction industry, including energy management to encourage the development of green buildings, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is one of the contemporary data information platforms and management technologies that is widely employed. The goal of this study was to optimize an institutional building's energy consumption by analyzing and evaluating its energy performance using BIM-provided capabilities. The Civil Engineering block of Sree Vidyanikethan Engineering College in Tirupati, was taken into consideration for the investigation. The 2D blueprint was obtained from the engineering department and BIM technologies were used to create the necessary building model. The Green Building Studio (GBS) tool and Autodesk Insight 360 were utilized to conduct an energy analysis and derive the energy usage figures. The structural elements that are contributing to the high energy demand, such as the area between windows and walls, the width of the chajja relative to the height of the window, etc., were identified, and the BIM model underwent the required alterations to optimize the energy consumption. Comparing the data obtained in the two aspects, it was found that there was a 30% reduction in energy costs and a roughly 29.76% drop in energy use.

The LTAR cropland common experiment in the Lower Mississippi River Basin.

The Lower Mississippi River Basin-Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Site (LMRB-LTAR) encompasses six states from Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico and is coordinated by the USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, MS. The overarching goal of LTAR is to assess regionally diverse and geographically scalable farming practices for enhanced sustainability of agroecosystem goods and services under changing environment and resource-use conditions. The LMRB-LTAR overall goal is to assess sustainable row crop agricultural production systems that integrate regional environmental and socioeconomic needs. Primary row crops in the region include soybeans, corn, cotton, rice, and sugarcane with crop rotations influenced by commodity crop price and other factors. The field-scale common experiment (CE) includes four row crop farms (26-101 ha) established in 2021 and 2023. Three fields are managed with alternative practices, including reduced tillage, cover crops, and automated prescription irrigation, and three fields are managed with prevailing farming practices, consisting of conventional tillage, no cover crop, and nonprescription irrigation. Treatment effects on crop productivity, soil quality, water use efficiency, water quality, and carbon storage are assessed. Research from the LMRB CE will deliver outcomes linked to overarching LTAR network goals, including innovative agricultural systems, strengthened partnerships, data management technologies, and precision environmental tools.

Biomedical blockchain with practical implementations and quantitative evaluations: a systematic review.

Blockchain has emerged as a potential data-sharing structure in healthcare because of its decentralization, immutability, and traceability. However, its use in the biomedical domain is yet to be investigated comprehensively, especially from the aspects of implementation and evaluation, by existing blockchain literature reviews. To address this, our review assesses blockchain applications implemented in practice and evaluated with quantitative metrics. This systematic review adapts the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to review biomedical blockchain papers published by August 2023 from 3 databases. Blockchain application, implementation, and evaluation metrics were collected and summarized. Following screening, 11 articles were included in this review. Articles spanned a range of biomedical applications including COVID-19 medical data sharing, decentralized internet of things (IoT) data storage, clinical trial management, biomedical certificate storage, electronic health record (EHR) data sharing, and distributed predictive model generation. Only one article demonstrated blockchain deployment at a medical facility. Ethereum was the most common blockchain platform. All but one implementation was developed with private network permissions. Also, 8 articles contained storage speed metrics and 6 contained query speed metrics. However, inconsistencies in presented metrics and the small number of articles included limit technological comparisons with each other. While blockchain demonstrates feasibility for adoption in healthcare, it is not as popular as currently existing technologies for biomedical data management. Addressing implementation and evaluation factors will better showcase blockchain's practical benefits, enabling blockchain to have a significant impact on the health sector.

Review and Assessment of Existing and Future Techniques for Traceability with Particular Focus on Applicability to ABS Plastics.

It is generally recognized that the use of physical and digital information-based solutions for tracking plastic materials along a value chain can favour the transition to a circular economy and help to overcome obstacles. In the near future, traceability and information exchange between all actors in the value chain of the plastics industry will be crucial to establishing more effective recycling systems. Recycling plastics is a complex process that is particularly complicated in the case of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic because of its versatility and use in many applications. This literature study is part of a larger EU-funded project with the acronym ABSolEU (Paving the way for an ABS recycling revolution in the EU). One of its goals is to propose a suitable traceability system for ABS products through physical marking with a digital connection to a suitable data-management system to facilitate the circular use of ABS. The aim of this paper is therefore to review and assess the current and future techniques for traceability with a particular focus on their use for ABS plastics as a basis for this proposal. The scientific literature and initiatives are discussed within three technological areas, viz., labelling and traceability systems currently in use, digital data sharing systems and physical marking. The first section includes some examples of systems used commonly today. For data sharing, three digital technologies are discussed, viz., Digital Product Passports, blockchain solutions and certification systems, which identify a product through information that is attached to it and store, share and analyse data throughout the product's life cycle. Finally, several different methods for physical marking are described and evaluated, including different labels on a product's surface and the addition of a specific material to a polymer matrix that can be identified at any point in time with the use of a special light source or device. The conclusion from this study is that the most promising data management technology for the near future is blockchain technology, which could be shared by all ABS products. Regarding physical marking, producers must evaluate different options for individual products, using the most appropriate and economical technology for each specific product. It is also important to evaluate what information should be attached to a specific product to meet the needs of all actors in the value chain.

Blockchain Technology for Secure and Efficient Data Management in Cloud Computing Environments

Blockchain Technology for Secure and Efficient Data Management in Cloud Computing Environments

Adoption of Blockchain Technology for Data Management of Human Resource Demands in Organizational Enterprises

Human resource data accuracy has become a significant factor in assessing the effectiveness and performance of human resource management (HRM) in businesses. Numerous human resource hazards originating from asymmetric information continue to cost firms money and even put companies out of business despite the rapid progress of mobile technology and Internet technology. Blockchain is a transaction platform that makes use of the immutability qualities of immutable data records. Because of the dispersed nature of this technology, it has a broad variety of applications in numerous industries. Seeing the potential of this new technology, we picked the HRM sector since this data must be kept private and secret while still having great research value. This research presents a unique blockchain-based encryption method for establishing an HRM data method that decreases the danger of HRM data integrity. The data is authenticated using smart contracts, and data is encrypted using the proposed Improved Identity-based blowfish encryption algorithm (IIBEA) with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). New blocks are verified using the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus process. The suggested model's metrics are examined and compared to traditional encryption approaches. This model solves the lack of difference in the authenticity of HRM information, and it will give real and effective information to the HRM of organizational companies.

Establishing Robust Data Sharing Through a Blockchain-Driven Standardization Framework in Local Community Healthcare System

The healthcare industry's digitalization has sparked innovation and improved various aspects of the services. Community hospitals in Pangasinan still use conventional paper-based methods for managing patients' health records. However, the healthcare information system is still in a traditional structured excel platform and lacking of communication among healthcare providers. This study aims to design a blockchain-driven standardization framework to establish robust data sharing and increase the confidentiality and security of stakeholders in using the healthcare system. In gathering data, a focus group was organized to give a valuable perspective on the present state of the healthcare system through conducting an online survey, seven respondents are direct users of the healthcare system. The study adopted the IS4H assessment maturity tool concerning data management and information technology in identifying the gaps and challenges in the existing healthcare system. A comprehensive review of related literature regarding the usability of access control models in the study and the potential of blockchain technology in the healthcare system is also essential. Blockchain technology provides features that enhance the accessibility and immutability of the healthcare system and to the stakeholders. The research underscores the paramount importance of integrating blockchain, access control, and security measures to safeguard privacy in the system. The implication of the integration of blockchain is seamless, secure, and patient-centric which has a great potential to contribute to improving the digitalization of healthcare quality of services in the healthcare system.

Analysis of the digital transformation processes of the oil and gas industry

Most modern digital technologies, which are part of the fourth industrial revolution, can be used to improve the efficiency of production processes in the oil and gas industry, in particular, in exploration, planning and optimisation of well construction and maintenance operations, secondary oil and gas recovery methods and enhanced oil and gas recovery. Information flow management can significantly reduce operating costs associated with oil and gas field logistics. Production processes in the oil and gas industry are accompanied by the collection, transmission, processing and storage of significant amounts of information aimed at making and implementing the necessary decisions. In these conditions, big data management technologies are becoming increasingly important. The proliferation of digital technologies, given the peculiarities of oil and gas technologies, requires improvement of measures and means of protection against unauthorised interference with information flow management processes. The use of distributed ledger technology makes data leakage impossible and provides a high level of protection of the information field. The conducted research has identified areas of rational use of simulation software and special applications in the form of automated calculation algorithms in modelling the work processes of oil and gas equipment. Simulation programs do not require a mathematical description of the oil and gas machine's workflow, but are ineffective in the case of a significant number of calculation operations. The use of an automated calculation algorithm is advisable if it is necessary to involve numerous arrays of source data, the analysis of which involves the implementation of numerous calculation procedures. Increasing the share of digital technologies in the educational process involves the widespread introduction of electronic document management, the legalisation of electronic signatures and distance learning methods.

Blockchain technologies in pharmaceutical industry: A comprehensive overview

Pharmacies need to manage their data effectively. A novel technology known as blockchain holds the potential to enhance transparency and safety for various pharmaceutical operations. The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), which was passed by the US Congress in 2013 to stop pharmaceuticals that are stolen, tainted, or counterfeit, has a response provided by blockchain technology. Blockchain technology is a decentralized distributed ledger that uses cryptographic techniques to provide security to a peer-to-peer network of transactions. These guarantee that a product is secure and suitable for consumer sale. By making sure laws are readily followed, blockchain provides solutions to improve the validity, reliability, and efficiency of medicine production. It also presents a chance to address one of the main issues, which is the surge of fake medications getting into the system and into the hands of patients or customers. According to the pharmaceutical industry, society is seriously threatened by fake medications. False medications have a direct or indirect negative impact on patients health, sometimes leading to major problems and even death. The pharmaceutical industry's inadequate supply chain management is the cause of this counterfeiting, which jeopardizes patient safety and damages the reputation of the manufacturer. Blockchain technology can be applied to supply chain management to provide assurance, security, traceability, and openness to the chain by providing visibility and immutability of each stage in the chain. A relatively new electronic data management technology called blockchain has promise for transparency and accountability. A blockchain is a ledger of transactions that is viewable by all users of a computer network, each with an identical copy of the ledger.

Supporting Sustainable Product Design with Engineering Data Management Capabilities

Today, innovations are no longer defined just by technical progress but also, in particular, by environmental aspects (such as carbon gas emissions). The issue of reuse is also becoming increasingly central to purchasing decisions and is forcing manufacturing companies to deal transparently with environmental impacts. This is also receiving a lot of political attention and is underlined by increasingly far-reaching regulations on sustainability, such as CSRD, Product Declarations, Transparent Supply Chains, Substance Compliance, etc. Since 80% of the environmental impact is already determined in the early product development phases, there is a high potential for improvement. This is where engineering data management approaches (such as PLM) come into play as a systematic approach to data, document, and information management. Many KPIs for determining the environmental impact are often already available in PLM. Still, it is necessary to bring them into context in a targeted way to support early qualitative and quantitative evaluations in the engineering phases regarding the current environmental impact of the design. The paper, therefore, presents a concept based on PLM-available data along the product engineering process for assessing ecological impact. This includes the product life cycle (and the supply chain) as well as the prototypical provision of environmental information and is demonstrated using platform technology by CONTACT Software.

Supporting BIM-driven Factory Design by Engineering Data Management Capabilities

Nearly six thousand factory buildings requiring approval in Germany with a volume of almost 5 billion euros per year. According to recent studies, more than two-thirds of these buildings miss their cost targets by at least 10 percent. Building Information Modelling (BIM) promises considerable potential for optimization in the management of projects (e.g., through the targeted use of digital methods and technologies in project management) and through digital platform-based collaboration between stakeholders in building planning and production system planning in the early design and decision-making phases of engineering. This is where the research project "Holistically plan, build, and operate factories with Building Information Modeling (FaBIM)" comes in. The article presents an IT architecture concept based on a design reference process developed in the research project by experts from construction and factory planning. This supports integrated production system and building planning. The concrete application of an integrated BIM-driven data environment approach along the design reference process is demonstrated using the example of a battery cell factory and platform technology from CONTACT Software.

Virtual Reality in Heritage Management: A Case Study of the Virtual Tour of ‘Back to the Future’ Exhibition of Godrej Archives, Mumbai

In today’s digital era, organizations are increasingly embracing new and innovative technologies to enhance their communication strategies and reach a wider audience. By examining the case of the virtual tour of Godrej Archives’ permanent exhibition ‘Back to the Future’ housed in Godrej’s Vikhroli campus, this article demonstrates how organizations can leverage digital technologies to enhance storytelling, effectively communicate their history, vision and values and engage a diverse audience. As a part of the digital strategy, Godrej Archives has adopted digital technology for effective data management since 2015, and in 2020–2021, it started exploring the potential of digital avenues such as virtual tour for disseminating corporate heritage. The findings emphasize the potential of digital platforms in transforming traditional approaches to corporate storytelling and heritage marketing.