Neuroscientists develop visual search for iPhone

Application to turn photos into advertisements

Written by Gabrielle Grow

News Writer

Published on May 26, 2010

Thanks to UC Davis and UC Berkeley scientists, visual search isn't limited to Android users any longer. With the help of crowdsourcing, computer vision and 'a bit of magic,' iPhone application oMoby is the newest addition to visual search.

oMoby is used to recognize and label photos through crowdsourcing and computer vision. Businesses like IQ Engines, the creators of oMoby, tap into public knowledge to draw information so the company doesn't have to do all the work, similar to how Wikipedia works.

Computer vision, a technology also used in surveillance and topographical modeling, serves as the eyes of the application.

A photo is first processed by object-recognizing computer vision modules, which can process an image in seconds.

"If those [modules] are not successful, the photo then goes to a human crowdsourcing network," said IQ Engine co-founder Gerry Pesavento in an e-mail interview. "In this way, 100 percent of photos submitted get tagged."

Currently, oMoby is best at identifying books, CDs and DVDs, and can do so without scanning barcodes. Once a picture is taken, the application is used as a shopping comparison tool to pull up product information, reviews and prices.

While out at dinner, someone could estimate if it's worth buying a bottle of wine at the restaurant's price by snapping a picture, identifying the bottle and comparing prices with oMoby.

Developed for the iPhone, oMoby provides visual intelligence as a service since anyone can use IQ Engines' image recognition engine, whereas Google provides them as a mobile application, Pesavento said, distinguishing the two.

David Warland [cq], a research professor from UC Davis, co-founded IQ Engines and helped set the framework for their computer vision system.

Software infrastructure developer Huy Nguyen and software engineer Spencer Mathews, both graduate students at UC Davis, worked on the application with a team of computer neuroscientists and researchers from UC Berkeley. The researchers apply their expertise in biological and computer vision to develop applications like oMoby.

IQ Engines has also developed software to monetize pictures by matching labels to relevant retailers and advertisers.

By using their software, you connect a picture of yourself drinking from a Coca-Cola bottle to an advertising marketplace. Once it reaches the marketplace, Coca-Cola could pay to turn their logo in the photo into a clickable link or advertisement.

"There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to this type of technology," said Jesse Drew, professor of technocultural studies. "Because it is electronic, it leaves it open for hacking and error. Reliance on this technology can weaken peoples' ability to think for themselves."

Objects with distinct patterns and logos are relatively easy for the application to identify, but applications like oMoby and Google Goggles have trouble identifying objects with abstract shapes or plain textures, like purses.

"The camera is the eye and we're building the brain," Pesavento said in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.

Initially, oMoby had difficulty recognizing products, identifying a picture frame from Target as a "wood thing," wrote an oMoby reviewer on everythingiCafe.com.

Within an hour after first identifying the 'wood thing' however, the item was updated and identified as a picture frame.

Lower wages may result in obesity

High quality food difficult for poor to afford

Written by Gabrielle Grow

News Writer

Published on May 17, 2010

Minimum-wage employees are more likely to be obese than higher wage employees, according to a UC Davis study of a relationship that has long been speculated, but unproven until now.

Most people agree on the relationship between income and obesity, but not the reasons for it or the direction of the relationship, said Paul Leigh, professor of health economics at UC Davis School of Medicine.

Researchers from UC Davis used data collected by the University of Michigan to study the relationship between low income and obesity. Over 6,000 people from 40 states with full-time jobs who identified themselves as the heads of household participated in the six-year longitudinal study.

Deeper research required Leigh and co-author DaeHwan Kim to use a third variable unrelated to obesity to determine if the relationship between low wages and obesity was more than coincidental.

The authors used selected minimum wage variation across states over time, a variable unrelated to obesity, to show the correlation between low income and obesity. Over the past three decades minimum wages have fallen or remained stagnant, leaving full-time workers near the poverty line. During those decades, obesity rates skyrocketed.

"It's hard to argue that Body Mass Index (BMI) influences state legislature," Leigh said.

Economists have historically believed that bias against obese workers resulted in lower wages; however, the results of Leigh's study show a causal relationship of low wages on obesity.

Obesity was determined by a BMI of 30 or more, and was adjusted for various variables such as age, race and gender.

Leigh and other public health scientists identified several possible explanations for the relationship.

Impoverished neighborhoods tend to have more fast food restaurants as well as grocery stores with low cost, high calorie food. The psychological effects of poverty may have an effect on body weight and, according to California's Obesity Prevention Plan, many low-income families must travel long distances to find healthy foods at affordable prices.

"If you're struggling to make money, you can't focus on the food you're eating," said Marilyn Townsend, nutrition specialist with the cooperative extension, who agrees with Leigh's findings.

Nutritionists and public health scientists agree that when all energy is spent on taking care of the basic necessities, people have less energy to spend on cooking.

In a study on food cost among low-income women in four counties, Townsend found it cost more money to pay for a better diet.

"It is very difficult to find prepared food that is high quality and to simultaneously spend little money on it," Townsend said.

Convenient pre-packaged and prepared foods are usually filled with much more sugar and fat than food that is self-prepared, and are tested continuously to perfect taste.

"I will acknowledge that it tastes great," Leigh said of pre-prepared food. "For $18 you can feed a family of four at McDonald's. The byproduct is obesity, but who cares, it's a long term consequence, and it's the cheapest way to feed your family."

GABRIELLE GROW can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Chocolate and depression may be linked, research shows

UCD professors take a bite into chocolate's rich history

Written by Gabrielle Grow

News Writer

Published on May 5, 2010

Those frequent trips to Yolo Berry for chocolate frozen yogurt may mean more than just a sweet tooth.

Last week, UC Davis and UC San Diego researchers released a study on dietary intake patterns, which found a possible relationship between chocolate and depression.

The study of 931 men and women showed those who tested positive for possible depression ate an average of 8.4 ounces of chocolate per month compared to 5.4 ounces among those who tested negative for depression. The correlation between chocolate and depression was part of a larger study on the affects of food intake on overall health.

Although the study took caffeine, omega-3s and alcohol intake into account, only chocolate was related to mood.

"Because of the kind of study we did, we can't show cause and effect," said Natalie Rose, an OB/GYN resident at UC Davis Medical Center who co-authored the research during her studies at UCSD.

"Possible explanations for the relationship may be self medication, or, although I'd like to think this isn't the answer, that chocolate is causing depression."

Those who participated in the study were not using anti-depressant medicine and depression score had no relation with overall calorie intake.

Previous chocolate research has found that chocolate acts as a catalyst for releasing dopamine, a pleasure inducing chemical, into the brain, and in 2006 UC Davis researchers found the presence of a heart-healthy chemical compound in some chocolate products.

"When people feel depressed, it is not uncommon to see an impact on one's relationship to food," said Stefanie Greenberg, Eating Disorder Program coordinator at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). "Moreover, it is not uncommon for people who struggle with eating concerns to also experience mood disturbance."

Anecdotes from "Chocolate: History, Culture and Heritage" explain how chocolate has been intertwined in American history since the earliest record from the 1630s, when barrels of chocolate washed ashore after a shipwreck. The book reveals how historic figures have perhaps turned to chocolate during hard times.

Meriwether Louis ate chocolate to renew his energy during his exhausting journey with William Clark, Amelia Earhart found solace through chocolate during one of her loneliest flights and chocolate was allotted to Revolutionary War soldiers.

Focusing on the history of chocolate in North America, the book was culmination of 10 years work by Louis Grivetti from the Department of Nutrition and Howard-Yana Shapiro, adjunct professor at UC Davis.

The co-initiators of the book had help from 52 researchers and 210 archives from around the world. Grivetti and Shapiro hope the book will spawn chocolate scholarship.

"Every place we turned, we made fantastic world class discoveries," Shapiro said. "We had seen how cocoa was utilized in South America. No one had ever given any attention to the history of chocolate in the United States."

Research was funded by Mars, Inc, and all royalties from the book will go to Shields Library to help purchase more books on chocolate.

Their book has gained nationwide attention, placing among three finalists for an International Association of Culinary Professionals award.

Although the book didn't win the award, Shapiro said the book has been met with phenomenal reviews and with a 2009 symposium on the book held at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.

GABRIELLE GROW can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Campus honored by President Obama for community service

HIV/AIDS researcher recognized for non-profit work in India

Written by Gabrielle Grow

News Writer

Published on Apr 29, 2010

Amid talk of Picnic Day violence, Cynthia Goldberg will tell you what sets UC Davis apart is not the debauchery that shrouded campus on Picnic Day, but the university's common interest in serving the community.

UC Davis students gave 430,000 hours of community service during the 2008-2009 academic year, earning UC Davis a place on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Aliyah Abdullah is one of 7,000 students who committed her free time to service efforts. Abdullah, a UC Davis law school student and director of community service for the Black Law Students Association coordinated programs in impoverished communities in Oakland and San Francisco to teach fifth through eight graders about law.

"Some of them had low self-esteem in the beginning," Abdullah said about the mock trials and opening statements the children practiced. "It was amazing to see the transformation by the end of the day. They were so proud."

The Community Service Resource Center (CSRC), a branch of the Internship and Career Center, informs over 5,000 UC Davis students of community service opportunities via its listserv and holds three weekends of service per year.

Universities honored were chosen based on the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. CSRC surveyed service activities on campus and pulled information from clubs to submit for review to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Last week, CSRC announced outstanding members of the campus community who will be recognized for their involvement in community service.

Those who were chosen for the highest recognition are the spark of the group; they are the people who inspire the other members, said Goldberg, supervisor of CSRC.

HIV/AIDS researcher Koen Vanrompay is one of six who will be honored by the CSRC for outstanding community service at a May 12 reception.

Vanrompay dedicates his free time to Sahaya International, a non-profit organization founded in 1999. Based in Davis, Sahaya International provides assistance to social development projects in developing nations and is run completely through volunteer efforts.

Since its creation, Sahaya raised approximately $700,000, including an $110,000 grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Through HIV/AIDS education and medical help, children who were on the verge of death at the time of the organization's founding are now planning on attending college.

Initially only two small huts served as schools for nine children in a village six hours south of Chennai, India. Now, a large school accommodating 300 has replaced the huts.

"It's touching to see the children in their school uniforms," Vanrompay said. "When you know how to spend your money wisely [on helping others] you know how to live - I have gained so much friendship."

Sahaya International raised $800 on Picnic Day and has a charity walk scheduled for October 2010.

In addition to the community service opportunities from the CSRC, the UCD School of Medicine runs six community health clinics in Sacramento and the Graduate School of Management provides free consulting services to non-profit organizations.

"Something about our campus is more service-conscious than anywhere else I've been," Abdullah said.

Vetoed senate bill leaves five students with inadequate funding

Proposed bill to have helped cover expenses for Florida protest

Written by Gabrielle Grow

Aggie News Writer

Published on Apr 19, 2010

Despite initial approval from ASUCD senate and a vote to override ASUCD President Jack Zwald's veto, an override to pass Senate Bill 53 - a bill now evoking controversy and dialogue - failed with a 7-5 vote.

If passed, the bill would have allocated $580 from Senate Reserves to five UC Davis students to help pay for airfare to attend last weekend's Farmworker Freedom March in Florida.

Without the $580 allocation from ASUCD, students who attended the three-day march will be responsible for covering additional expenses themselves.

Last Thursday, Zwald vetoed the bill with an accompanying letter stating that he did not feel the Senate members "fully understood the ramifications" of it. His letter argued that passing Senate Bill 53 would set a precedent for all bills that are fiscally sound and legal to be passed, even if ASUCD disagreed with its motive.

"It's important to note that other senate bills like this have been passed before," said Abrham Castillo-Ruiz, co-author of Senate Bill 53. Ruiz referred to a senate bill passed last school year which allocated funds for postage to help send supplies to UC Davis alumni serving in Iraq.

ASUCD has $12,000 in senate reserves each year to allocate to students who address ASUCD with their financial needs. So far, there is roughly $10,000 unused senate reserves. If the money is not used, it will be moved to capital reserves, a reserve intended to fund only projects that will last two or more years.

"We exhausted all avenues of fundraising before going to ASUCD," said Liz Fitzgerald, Village Harvest Davis team leader and Freedom Farmworker March attendee. The students financed the trip with the help of a contribution from UCD Sodexo.

UCD students representing Students for Sustainable Agriculture, MEChA de UC Davis and the Tri Co-op participated in the Coalition of Immokalee Worker's (CIW) Farmworker Freedom March. The 22-mile march from Lakeland to Tampa, Florida protested Publix, Florida's largest super market chain, which protesters feel has failed to adopt the principles for the Campaign for Fair Food.

"I felt we had a responsibility to support CIW at such a big event," said Castillo-Ruiz.

The CIW rallies to help farm workers earn an additional $0.01 per pound of tomatoes picked.

Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King and Subway have all adopted the CIW's principles, and nationwide food service providers are to follow suit.

The one cent per pound increase could help workers earn 40 to 70 percent more, said Philip Martin, UC Davis professor of agricultural and resource economics in an interview with the Associated Press.

Sodexo, a multinational corporation that supplies food services and facilities management at UC Davis, has committed to paying farm workers an additional $0.01 per pound of tomatoes and to purchasing from producers who meet the code of conduct.

Sodexo is currently deliberating with CIW to determine the best method of payment to ensure the $0.01 raise reaches farm workers directly, said Brenan Connolly, general manager of resident dining.

UC Davis Sodexo purchases 1 percent of its tomatoes from Florida, buying the remainder from California and from Mexico in the off-season.

Connolly and UC Davis Sodexo will team up with Fitzgerald this spring to bring awareness of farm workers' conditions to campus dining halls.

GABRIELLE GROW can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

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Outstanding UCD professor awarded $40,000

Grosberg finds students' “inner nerds”

Written by Gabrielle Grow

Aggie News Writer

Published on Mar 29, 2010

Evolutionary biology professor Rick Grosberg got his cake and ate it too, along with a $40,000 prize.

On Friday, March 12, Grosberg's class in Storer Hall had a surprise interruption by cake, cameras and an entourage including Chancellor Linda Katehi.

As one of the largest awards in the nation for undergraduate teaching excellence, the UC Davis Foundation, funded by philanthropic donations, recognizes one professor each year for outstanding scholarship and teaching.

"It's hard to choose because the list of nominees is so humbling," said Kevin Bacon, head of the UCD Foundation. "The prize gives the winner the ability to do something special."

Selection for the award is based on student evaluations, research peers' advice and nominations from deans of different colleges. A committee, including Chancellor Katehi, spends a month sorting through student evaluations and recommendations before narrowing down the top nominees.

"He has really contributed tremendously to UC Davis," Katehi said of Grosberg.

Evolutionary biology didn't used to be of much interest to Grosberg, who admitted that he had no appreciation for science when he was young. It wasn't until he strayed from his English major to take a science class at UC Santa Cruz that Grosberg realized science is about asking questions

Grosberg, who teaches large lecture classes like Intro to Biology, is also a part of the Collaborative Learning at the Interface of Mathematics and Biology (CLIMB) training program in which he teaches small seminar groups with seven to eight students.

"Through the CLIMB program he treats students like colleagues and forces them to think for themselves," said graduate student Julia Svoboda, who has worked with Grosberg for three years. "He gives students a level of ownership over their research, and there is no one I would have rather written a nomination letter for."

Grosberg's contributions include the development of an interdisciplinary minor in quantitative biology and bioinformatics in 2003. He is also an elected fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.

A fervent believer in 'nerdiness', Grosberg believes the best education comes from a research institution, and that teaching and research are inextricably linked.

"Everyone is a nerd," Grosberg said. "I try to find my students' nerdiness in evolutionary biology."

Grosberg discovered his nerdy niche when he realized that there wasn't much research on connection between the social evolution of marine invertebrates and the evolution of altruism.

Interested in finding out why animals spend their energy helping others, Grosberg studied a species of snail that attach the egg sac to the male's shell after mating so the male can provide all prenatal care.

Though Grosberg noted that a portion of his award money will be "donated" to the IRS, he plans on using the money for both personal and academic purposes.

A family trip to a place that Darwin would have loved, or went to, like the Galapagos is in the works, as well as a prize-money funded undergraduate trip to Africa.

While he loves science, Grosberg won't forget to spend some of the money on his passion for cooking.

"I'll buy an outdoor pizza oven, and a kitchen range. I want power, heat and BTUs!"

GABRIELLE GROW can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.