Abstract
The rising potential for battery energy storage systems (BESS) to generate revenue in a market environment is addressed in this work, where a tool based on neural network predictions is proposed. The tool's main objective is predicting, based on historical data, the most lucrative out of three established bidding approaches for the participation of a BESS in the day-ahead energy market and thus aid the strategic bidding process of the BESS operator. Each of these bidding strategies reflects BESS's operator approach concerning bidding frequency and the tolerated risk of loss of profit from having its bids rejected, leading to the development of a conservative (strategy A), an aggressive (strategy B), and a moderate strategy (strategy C). A case study was then used to test the tool for a full year allowing to ascertain the assertiveness of this tool in predicting the best strategy, which for this case was above 88%.

Abstract
E-commerce is a field that changed how consumers purchase and interact with products. Although, inherent limitations such as the difficulty of testing the products first-hand before a purchase can compromise consumers' trust in online purchases. Virtual Reality (VR) has been investigated as a tool to solve limitations in several fields and how we can harness its potential to improve the overall user experience. This study analysed how immersive VR (IVR) could solve these limitations by allowing consumers to test products beforehand. We have studied how the Novelty Factor (evaluated by the users' past VR experience) and Immersive Tendencies correlate with the users' Purchase Intention and Memory (how well they remember the product's characteristics). We have analysed a sample of 38 participants (21 males) from 18 to 28 years old. Participants experienced a refrigerator with an interactive touchscreen in an IVR setup and were guided through its functionalities. Results indicated that memory of the product's characteristics was positively correlated with how recently they experienced VR. No correlations were found in the female sample. A negative correlation between Purchase Intention and Memory of the product's characteristics was found in the male sample. We concluded that IVR applications could become helpful for both consumers and online shops in an e-commerce context regardless of the Novelty Factor and Immersive Tendencies of consumers. However, differences between genders should be further investigated.

Abstract
Inertial sensors are widely used to measure human movement. Although inertial sensors have been successfully applied to exergaming in the past, the problem of detecting foot motions to interact with stepping exergames is still largely understudied. In this work, we developed a new method to detect and classify step directions relying on inertial sensor data captured by two shoe-mounted inertial sensors. Drawing on previous results, we developed a single multiclass classifier to distinguish front, back, side, and center steps originating from any of these positions. Since some of these steps exhibit similar displacement patterns, the previous step position was also considered as an input to the classifier. The method was tested on a group of young and older adults, achieving an accuracy of 93.1%. Performance remained consistent throughout the acquisition time due to the introduction of a novel calibration approach designed to handle sensor orientation drift over time. This study provided the first insights into the potential of inertial sensors to detect the foot motions required to interact with stepping exergames. Experimental results support their application in a real scenario.

Abstract
In Mediterranean Europe, one of the expected consequences of climate change is the intensification of wildfire events. Given the importance of forests in helping regulate climate and the many ecosystem services they provide, it is crucial to identify how wildfires might impact them. In this context, the present work aims to identify the wildfire impacts caused to the ecosystem services in Portugal. This is done through a survey directed to Portuguese fire experts. Using The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) definitions, experts were asked to share their perceptions on the fire impacts to forest ecosystem services in the short and long-term and indicate which services they feel require more policies to mitigate the impacts. The results showed that all ecosystem services are impacted to various degrees and different lengths of time. Regulating services were overall the most affected group and the most in need of specific policies. This study helped identify fire impacts, policy needs, and priorities in the perception of the experts in Portugal, which is valuable for guiding future research in various knowledge fields, especially related to raising awareness about behavioral adaptation to prevent and mitigate wildfire impacts in a changing climate. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

Abstract
Increasing digitalization has posed new challenges for businesses, and digital coupons are an important means of promoting their sales. However, there are still gaps in the literature on how they are distributed. The objective of this paper is to study whether the distribution of digital coupons through a referral program increases purchase intention and perceived quality towards a product. By conducting an experimental design, the results point out that consumer purchase intention increases if the recommendation is made by someone with a strong relationship and if a digital coupon is offered, and when the tie relationship is weak or no relationship, it does not vary significantly. On the other hand, the results showed that perceived quality does not vary with the offer of a digital coupon, regardless of the strength of the tie between the person who recommended and the consumer. Current research suggests that managers should use this information to design a digital coupon program tailored to the company’s objectives to retain and capture customers. This new approach to digital voucher distribution is one of the first to investigate their distribution, and their simultaneous use with a referral program. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Abstract
In the past decade, there has been significant progress in 3D printing research for tissue engineering (TE) using biomaterial inks made from natural and synthetic compounds. These constructs can aid in the regeneration process after tissue loss or injury, but achieving high shape fidelity is a challenge as it affects the construct's physical and biological performance with cells. In parallel with the growth of 3D bioprinting approaches, some marine-origin polymers have been studied due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, low immunogenicity, and similarities to human extracellular matrix components, making them an excellent alternative to land mammal-origin polymers with reduced disease transmission risk and ethical concerns. In this research, collagen from shark skin, chitosan from squid pens, and fucoidan from brown algae were effectively blended for the manufacturing of an adequate biomaterial ink to achieve a printable, reproducible material with a high shape fidelity and reticulated using four different approaches (phosphate-buffered saline, cell culture medium, 6% CaCl2, and 5 mM Genipin). Materials characterization was composed by filament collapse, fusion behavior, swelling behavior, and rheological and compressive tests, which demonstrated favorable shape fidelity resulting in a stable structure without deformations, and interesting shear recovery properties around the 80% mark. Additionally, live/dead assays were conducted in order to assess the cell viability of an immortalized human mesenchymal stem cell line, seeded directly on the 3D printed constructs, which showed over 90% viable cells. Overall, the Roswell Park Memorial Institute cell culture medium promoted the adequate crosslinking of this biopolymer blend to serve the TE approach, taking advantage of its capacity to hamper pH decrease coming from the acidic biomaterial ink. While the crosslinking occurs, the pH can be easily monitored by the presence of the indicator phenol red in the cell culture medium, which reduces costs and time.