3D shape clustering with Nonnegative Least Squares coding and fusion on multilayer graphs

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The well-known method of spectral clustering for 3D shape datasets is revisited. The graph construction by NNLS (Nonnegative Least Squares) coding technique is...     

On the definition of shape parts: a dominant sets approach

In the present paper, a novel graph-based approach to the shape decomposition problem is addressed. The shape is appropriately transformed into a visibility graph enriched with local neighborhood information. A two-step diffusion process is then applied to the visibility graph that efficiently enhances the information provided, thus leading to a more robust and meaningful graph construction. Inspired by the notion of a clique as a strict cluster definition, the dominant sets algorithm is invoked, slightly modified to comport with the specific problem of defining shape parts. The cluster cohesiveness and a node participation vector are two important outputs of the proposed graph partitioning method. Opposed to most of the existing techniques, the final number of the clusters is determined automatically, by estimating the cluster cohesiveness on a random network generation process. Experimental results on several shape databases show the effectiveness of our framework for graph-based shape decomposition.     

Anti-aphrodisiac Compounds of Male Butterflies Increase the Risk of Egg Parasitoid Attack by Inducing Plant Synomone Production

During mating in many butterfly species, males transfer spermatophores that contain anti-aphrodisiacs to females that repel conspecific males. For example, males of the large cabbage white, Pieris brassicae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), transfer the anti-aphrodisiac, benzyl cyanide (BC) to females. Accessory reproductive gland (ARG) secretion of a mated female P. brassicae that is deposited with an egg clutch contains traces of BC, inducing Brussels sprouts plants (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) to arrest certain Trichogramma egg parasitoids. Here, we assessed whether deposition of one egg at a time by the closely related small cabbage white, Pieris rapae, induced B. oleracea var. gemmifera to arrest Trichogramma wasps, and whether this plant synomone is triggered by substances originating from male P. rapae seminal fluid. We showed that plants induced by singly laid eggs of P. rapae arrest T. brassicae wasps three days after butterfly egg deposition. Elicitor activity was present in ARG secretion of mated female butterflies, whereas the secretion of virgin females was inactive. Pieris rapae used a mixture of methyl salicylate (MeSA) and indole as an anti-aphrodisiac. We detected traces of both anti-aphrodisiacal compounds in the ARG secretion of mated female P. rapae, whereas indole was lacking in the secretion of virgin female P. rapae. When applied onto the leaf, indole induced changes in the foliar chemistry that arrested T. brassicae wasps. This study shows that compounds of male seminal fluid incur possible fitness costs for Pieris butterflies by indirectly promoting egg parasitoid attack.