The Concept of a Smart Action – Results from Analyzing Information Systems Literature

In recent years, the term \u27smartness\u27 has entered widespread use in research and daily life. It has emerged with various applications of the Internet of Things, such as smart homes and smart factories. However, rapid technological development and careless use of the term mean that, in information systems (IS) research, a common understanding of smartness has not yet been established. And while it is recognized that smartness encompasses more than the use of impressive information technology applications, a unified conceptualization of how smartness is manifested in IS research is lacking. To this end, we conducted a structured literature review applying techniques from Grounded Theory. We found that smartness occurs through actions, in which smart things and individuals interact, process information, and make data-based decisions that are perceived as smart. Building on these findings, we propose the concept of a \u27smart action\u27 and derive a general definition of smartness. Our findings augment knowledge about how smartness is formed, offering a new perspective on smartness. The concept of a smart action unifies and increases understanding of \u27smartness\u27 in IS research. It supports further research by providing a concept for describing, analyzing, and designing smart actions, smart devices, and smart services

Toward Decentralized Wastewater Treatment: A Flow-through Module Using Microtubular Gas Diffusion Electrodes for Micropollutants Removal

Electro-Fenton (EF) represents an eco-friendly and cost-effective advanced oxidation process that can remove highly persistent and hazardous pharmaceuticals, e.g., contrast media agents, from water bodies. However, up to date, EF modules incorporate a planar carbonaceous gas diffusion electrode (GDE) cathode containing fluorinated compounds as polymeric binders. Here, we introduce a novel flow-through module that deploys freestanding carbon microtubes (CMT) as microtubular GDEs, omitting any risks of secondary pollution by highly-persistent fluorinated compounds (e.g., Nafion). The flow-through module was characterized for electrochemical hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation and micropollutant removal via EF. H2O2 electro-generation experiments illustrated high production rates (1.1~±~0.1– 2.7~±~0.1~mg~cm-2 h-1) at an applied cathodic potential of -~0.6~V vs. SHE, depending on the porosity of CMTs. Diatrizoate (DTZ), as the model pollutant, with a high initial concentration of 100~mg~L-1 was successfully oxidized (95– 100 %), reaching mineralization (TOC— total organic carbon removal) efficiencies up to 69 %. Additionally, Electro-adsorption experiments demonstrated the capability of positively charged CMTs to remove negatively charged DTZ with a capacity of 11~mg~g-1 from a 10~mg~L-1 DTZ solution. These results reveal the potential of the as-designed module to serve as an oxidation unit coupled with other separation techniques, e.g., electro-adsorption or membrane processes