Ant colony algorithms are a class of metaheuristics which are inspired from the behavior of real ants. The original idea consisted in simulating the stigmergic communication, therefore these algorithms are considered as a form of adaptive memory programming. A new formalization is proposed for the design of ant colony algorithms, introducing the biological notions of heterarchy and communicatio...

Optimal patient-physician communication in the outpatient clinical setting is critical for safe and effective patient care. Keeping track of multiple patient telephone messages can be difficult and hazardous if a structured system is not in place. A multidisciplinary group at Hershey Medical Center developed a standardized approach for addressing patient telephone calls at their outpatient surg...

Why do consensually shared group stereotypes have the contents that they do? A social-evolutionary perspective suggests that the emergent contents of stereotypes are influenced by the contents of interpersonal communications, which themselves may be influenced by individuals’ motives and goals. Three experiments tested hypotheses drawn from this perspective. In all experiments, participants in ...

An important kind of tacit knowledge in the context of the Semantic Web are the social communication structures among heterogeneous knowledge sources and users. Communication structures heavily influence the way knowledge is generated and used, because in a context of distributed and autonomous information sources like in the Semantic Web, knowledge is constituted and adapted pragmatically thro...

The impact of mobile text messaging is re-interpreted as an emergent technology that has accidentally been instrumental in the configuration of new social networks on a global scale. Using the unintended consequences of this implicit revolution in interpersonal communication as a catalyst for the generation of ideas, the argument is advanced that this is a manifestation of a new type of creativ...

The paper presents the computational model underlying new agent communication languages. The model, called STROBE, has been identified and two prototypical languages inspired by the model have been implemented. In order to describe unambiguously the STROBE model we have chosen to use a formal programming language, i.e. Scheme. STROBE shows how generic communication may be described and implemen...

Organizing effective strategy-making processes is challenging in contemporary environmental settings characterized by dynamic competition and intense use of information technology. Scholars have long argued for the pertinence of emergent strategy processes and the effectiveness of nonhierarchical decentralized decision structures in rapidly changing environments. However, little empirical resea...

Ant colony algorithms are a class of metaheuristics which are inspired from the behaviour of real ants. The original idea consisted in simulating the stigmergic communication, therefore these algorithms are considered as a form of adaptive memory programming. A new formalization is proposed for the design of ant colony algorithms, introducing the biological notions of heterarchy and communicati...