Abstract
In this paper we present a new constructive algorithm for nesting problems. The layout is built by successively adding a new piece to a partial solution, i.e. to the set of pieces previously nested. Several criteria to choose the next piece Co place and its orientation are proposed and tested. Different objective functions are also proposed to evaluate and compare partial solutions. A total of 126 variants of the algorithm, generated by the complete set of combinations of criteria and objective functions, are computationally tested. The computational experiments are based on data sets published in the literature or provided by other authors. In some cases this new algorithm generates better solutions than the best known (published) solutions.

Abstract
PurposeThe present study aims to analyse the presumed relationship between VLC use and students' grades.Design/methodology/approachThe research strategy unfolds as a case study (Yin, 1994), framed by how undergraduate students of pharmaceutical sciences used video lecture capture (VLC) and the impact of VLC on pedagogic differentiation. Looking at the course of Mechanistic Toxicology (MecTox), the objective is to describe this case of pharmaceutical sciences in depth.FindingsThe findings reveal that over 90% of students engaged with VLC videos, with the average viewing time exceeding the total available video minutes, indicating strong student engagement. The study particularly highlights VLC's positive impact on students with lower academic performance (grades D and E), suggesting that VLC can help reduce the performance gap and support a more inclusive educational environment.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings may have limited generalisability beyond the specific context and sample used. However, this study allows the research findings to be compared with previous research (Remi & atilde;o et al., 2022), contributing to the debate on how pedagogic research can promote evidence-based decisions regarding innovative strategies. The meaning of educational inclusion processes and diversity is, thus, contingent on the institutionalisation of research as a practice of teaching and learning.Practical implicationsThe results of this study thus provide interesting insights for the design of strategic action, considering the diversity of students as seen in parents' academic qualifications and students' conditions (e.g. student-workers, living away from home, holding a grant of economic and social support).Social implicationsThe implications of research findings for society bring the issue of equity in education to the fore. By addressing the diverse needs of students, HEIs can contribute to greater educational equity.Originality/valueUsing VLC as a differentiated pedagogic device might give diversity real content insofar as institutional and national policies can mitigate the possible negative effects of parents' low academic qualifications and the students' conditions of living away from their residence area and holding a grant of economic and social support.