Abstract
The Container Loading Problem (CLP) literature has traditionally evaluated the dynamic stability of cargo by applying two metrics to box arrangements: the mean number of boxes supporting the items excluding those placed directly on the floor (M1) and the percentage of boxes with insufficient lateral support (M2). However, these metrics, that aim to be proxies for cargo stability during transportation, fail to translate real-world cargo conditions of dynamic stability. In this paper two new performance indicators are proposed to evaluate the dynamic stability of cargo arrangements: the number of fallen boxes (NFB) and the number of boxes within the Damage Boundary Curve fragility test (NB_DBC). Using 1500 solutions for well-known problem instances found in the literature, these new performance indicators are evaluated using a physics simulation tool (StableCargo), replacing the real-world transportation by a truck with a simulation of the dynamic behaviour of container loading arrangements. Two new dynamic stability metrics that can be integrated within any container loading algorithm are also proposed. The metrics are analytical models of the proposed stability performance indicators, computed by multiple linear regression. Pearson's r correlation coefficient was used as an evaluation parameter for the performance of the models. The extensive computational results show that the proposed metrics are better proxies for dynamic stability in the CLP than the previous widely used metrics.

Abstract
In this paper we consider the problem of minimizing the waste of textile material in a Portuguese home textile manufacturing company. The company has a vertical structure covering the different production stages of the home textile, from weaving until the finished products. Production planning comprises different decisions: the definition of the widths and lengths of the fabric rolls to be produced, the number of fabric rolls to be used from stock or purchased and the definition of the cutting patterns to be applied to each width of the fabric roll, so that the waste is minimized. We propose a MIP model, solved by a column generation method, to tackle the problem.

Abstract
Internet sales channels, especially e-brokers that compare prices in the market, have a major impact on car rentals. As costs are heavily correlated with unoccupied fleet, occupation considerations should be integrated with swift responses to the market prices. This work was developed alongside Guerin, a Portuguese car rental, to build a tool that quickly updates prices on e-brokers websites to increase total value. This paper describes the specificities of the problem and their implication on the solution, and presents an adaptative heuristic to update prices and the system’s architecture. © 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.

Abstract
Cutting and packing problems generally address the cutting or packing of smaller items into a larger container object. Usually, the main methodologies used in the Circular Open Dimension Problem (CODP) are nonlinear programming methods or methods that combine different heuristics. The aim of this project is at devising and using an agent-based simulation approach to determine the length of the open rectangle in CODP; more specifically, we look into the Circular two-dimension Open Dimension Problem. Agents (circles, which can have different dimensions) were given a set of simple rules that allow them to be placed in the world (i.e. an open rectangle). These rules are inferred from the formal CODP formulation and from the behavior defined in the agents.

Abstract
Kidney exchange programs (KEPs) allow the exchange of kidneys between incompatible donor-recipient pairs. Optimization approaches can help KEPs in defining which transplants should be made among all incompatible pairs according to some objective. The most common objective is to maximize the number of transplants. In this paper, we propose an integer programming model which addresses the objective of maximizing the expected number of transplants, given that there are equal probabilities of failure associated with vertices and arcs. The model is compact, i.e. has a polynomial number of decision variables and constraints, and therefore can be solved directly by a general purpose integer programming solver (e.g. Cplex).

Abstract