Integration of the pathogenic exposure paradigm and the hierarchical immune system framework

A hierarchical framework of the acquired immune system provides the context for previously proposed adaptive models and inspired algorithms of the immune systems at different scales. A pathogenic exposure paradigm provides a flat stimulus-response situated environment for such systems, although lacks the depth of scale-constrained information processing. This work considers the integration of these two frameworks from the perspective of flat and hierarchical frameworks, and proposes integration at four different levels of complexity. The resultant hierarchical integrated model is demonstrated as providing a powerful conceptual tool in both providing a context for proposed adaptive models and algorithms, and in providing a number of different intuitive adoption methodologies for implementing and applying such algorithms.