Fixes: 1) Correct default values and type handling in util constructors; 2) Resolve missing or ambiguous `cast` operations for dynamic typing in tests and views; 3) Address potential issues with fallback/default handling in middleware.
Extra: 1) Refactor test cases to ensure stricter adherence to typing hints and valid contracts; 2) Update docstrings to align with new type annotations; 3) Cleanup unused imports and add comments for improved maintainability.
