Deep Lake: a Lakehouse for Deep Learning

Traditional data lakes provide critical data infrastructure for analytical workloads by enabling time travel, running SQL queries, ingesting data with ACID transactions, and visualizing petabyte-scale datasets on cloud storage. They allow organizations to break down data silos, unlock data-driven decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and reduce costs. However, as deep learning takes over common analytical workflows, traditional data lakes become less useful for applications such as natural language processing (NLP), audio processing, computer vision, and applications involving non-tabular datasets. This paper presents Deep Lake, an open-source lakehouse for deep learning applications developed at Activeloop. Deep Lake maintains the benefits of a vanilla data lake with one key difference: it stores complex data, such as images, videos, annotations, as well as tabular data, in the form of tensors and rapidly streams the data over the network to (a) Tensor Query Language, (b) in-browser visualization engine, or (c) deep learning frameworks without sacrificing GPU utilization. Datasets stored in Deep Lake can be accessed from PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, and integrate with numerous MLOps tools

Placebo-resistant gut bacteria: Akkermansia muciniphila spp. and Familial Mediterranean fever disease

IntroductionDespite numerous investigations into the impact of drugs/probiotics on the gut microbiota composition in Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) patients, the question as to whether there exists a significant bacterial diversity(ies) independent of the placebo effect that can be reliably considered in clinical and nutritional trials remains unresolved.MethodsThis study represents the in augural analysis of the placebo’s influence on the gut microbiota of both healthy individuals and FMF afflicted men, utilizing previously collected data from PhyloChip™ DNA microarray experiments. A total of 15 healthy and 15 FMF male volunteers, aged 18 to 50, participated in this partially randomized placebo trial, which is accessible through the GEO Series accession number GSE111835.Results and DiscussionKey findings from current investigations include i. the anticipated divergence in gut bacteria resistance to placebo between healthy and FMF individuals, ii. the minor impact of placebo on gut bacterial diversities in healthy individuals, with Enterobacteriaceae diversities identified as placebo-resistant among “healthy” gut bacteria, and iii. the comprehensive influence of placebo on all bacterial phyla in the gut microbiome of FMF patients, extending to nearly all bacterial genera, except for the resilience of gut Akkermansia muciniphila spp. to placebo in FMF patients. This study underscores the susceptibility of Faecalibacterium, Blautia, and Clostridium genera to placebo. Consequently, this investigation holds significance for the proper design of placebo-controlled trials and establishes a foundation for further exploration of the gut-brain axis. Furthermore, it contributes valuable insights to discussions regarding proposals for probiotic therapies, particularly focusing on Faecalibacterium spp., Blautia spp., and Clostridium spp

The psychological science accelerator’s COVID-19 rapid-response dataset

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

The Psychological Science Accelerator’s COVID-19 rapid-response dataset

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data

A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world

Pravda o lži: Experiment

The Truth Behind The Lies: The Experiment. Abstract The following thesis presents an economic experiment exploring the patterns of cheating behaviors among secondary school students. The students filled in the Big Five and the Dark Triad personality inventories, for which they were rewarded. The payoff in sweets was determined by a die roll. Since the outcomes of the die throw were known only to the subjects, they could decide whether to report the real outcome of the die roll or deceive. Subsequent analysis showed that a certain fraction of participants cheated, but some of them claimed a non-maximal payoff. We also find the appeal to honesty ineffective in reducing the cheating rate. Additionally, we find positive correlation between narcissism, extraversion and cheating, while openness to experience, neuroticism and Morality, a facet of agreeableness, covary negatively with dishonesty. Individuals with poor academic ability cheat less, while subjects who perform better at the Cognitive Reflection Test appear to deceive more. Furthermore, indicators of "unstable" family environment (divorced or unemployed parents) are positively associated with cheating, whilst the effect of a more affluent family background is equivocal. Ultimately, females seem to forgo the opportunity of cheating to a full extent and...Tato bakalářská práce představuje ekonomický experiment, který zkoumá vzorce nečestného chování studentů druhého stupně na základní a střední škole. Studenti vyplnili osobnostní inventáře týkající se Velké Pětky a Temné Triády, za což byli následně odměněni. Jako odměna fungovaly sladkosti a jejich počet byl určen hodem kostkou. Výsledky hodů byly známé jen jednotlivým účastníkům, mohli se tudíž rozhodnout, zda zalžou, nebo budou mluvit pravdu o tom, co jim padlo. Následná analýza odhalila, že určitá část účastníků podváděla, ale někteří si nenárokovali plnou výši odměny. Apel na poctivost jsme shledali neefektivním ve snižování počtu podvodů. Dále jsme objevili pozitivní korelaci mezi narcismem, extraverzí a podváděním. Na druhou stranu otevřenost vůči zkušenosti, neurotismus a morálnost, jeden z aspektů přívětivosti, s podváděním korelují negativně. Jednotlivci s horšími akademickými schopnostmi podvádějí méně, naopak ti, kteří dosahují lepších výsledků v testu kognitivní reflexe, podvádějí více. Mimoto indikátory "nestabilního" rodinného zázemí (rozvedení nebo nezaměstnaní rodiče) jsou spojeny s vyšší mírou podvádění, efekt stabilnějšího rodinného zázemí je nejasný. Konečně, zdá se, že ženy si raději odpustí možnost vybrat si plnou výši odměny a místo toho podvádí jen částečně. Celkové výsledky...Institut ekonomických studiíInstitute of Economic StudiesFaculty of Social SciencesFakulta sociálních vě

Fighting Fake News with Accuracy: Dual Processing Perspective

The phenomenon of "fake news", or misleading online content, is increasingly worrisome due to its large-scale socio-economic impact. Researchers and practitioners attempted to understand what drives the virality and believability of fake news and how to reduce its influence. This research aims to shed light on these questions. Building upon a theoretical account positing that people share fake news because they simply fail to engage in deliberate thinking, we designed an accuracy prompt intervention to encourage people to think effortfully. In a pre-registered study conducted via Prolific (N = 520), we find limited evidence supporting accuracy prompts stylized as warning labels, but only for increasing sharing discernment in true, not fake news. The veracity of news articles does not impact sharing intentions, despite having a sizeable effect on accuracy judgments. This and other findings support the dual processing theory of cognition in the context of fake news. Predispositions towards more intuitive thinking increased belief in fake news and higher distrust in true news. Conversely, a better ability to engage in effortful thinking increases truth discernment. In addition, confirmation bias decreases truth discernment and increases sharing intentions. Politically concordant true headlines are..