Background Obesity and lack of physical activity are major health risk factors for many life-threatening diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. The use of mobile app interventions to promote weight loss and boost physical activity among children and adults is fascinating owing to the demand for cutting-edge and more efficient interventions. Previously published studies have examined different types of technology-based interventions and their impact on weight loss and increase in physical activity, but evidence regarding the impact of only a mobile phone app on weight loss and increase in physical activity is still lacking. Objective The main objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a mobile phone app intervention for reducing body weight and increasing physical activity among children and adults. Methods PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, EMBASE, and the Web of Science electronic databases were searched for studies published between January 1, 2000, and April 30, 2019, without language restrictions. Two experts independently screened all the titles and abstracts to find the most appropriate studies. To be included, studies had to be either a randomized controlled trial or a case-control study that assessed a mobile phone app intervention with body weight loss and physical activity outcomes. The Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool was used to examine the risk of publication bias. Results A total of 12 studies involving a mobile phone app intervention were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, the use of a mobile phone app was associated with significant changes in body weight (−1.07 kg, 95% CI −1.92 to −0.21, P=.01) and body mass index (−0.45 kg/m2, 95% CI −0.78 to −0.12, P=.008). Moreover, a nonsignificant increase in physical activity was observed (0.17, 95% CI −2.21 to 2.55, P=.88). Conclusions The findings of this study demonstrate the promising and emerging efficacy of using mobile phone app interventions for weight loss. Future studies are needed to explore the long-term efficacy of mobile app interventions in larger samples.

Previous epidemiological studies have shown that proton pump inhibitor (PPI) may modify the risk of pancreatic cancer. We conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies assessing the effect of PPI on pancreatic cancer. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between 1 January 2000, and 1 May 2022. We only included studies that assessed exposure to PPI, reported pancreatic cancer outcomes, and provided effect sizes (hazard ratio or odds ratio) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We calculated an adjusted pooled risk ratio (RR) with 95%CIs using the random-effects model. Eleven studies (eight case–control and three cohorts) that reported 51,629 cases of pancreatic cancer were included. PPI was significantly associated with a 63% increased risk of pancreatic cancer (RRadj. 1.63, 95%CI: 1.19–2.22, p = 0.002). Subgroup analysis showed that the pooled RR for rabeprazole and lansoprazole was 4.08 (95%CI: 0.61–26.92) and 2.25 (95%CI: 0.83–6.07), respectively. Moreover, the risk of pancreatic cancer was established for both the Asian (RRadj. 1.37, 95%CI: 0.98–1.81) and Western populations (RRadj.2.76, 95%CI: 0.79–9.56). The findings of this updated meta-analysis demonstrate that the use of PPI was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Future studies are needed to improve the quality of evidence through better verification of PPI status (e.g., patient selection, duration, and dosages), adjusting for possible confounders, and ensuring long-term follow-up.

Besides competition, positive interactions also play an important role in shaping the social structure of mixed-species bird flocks. This study aimed to illuminate the interspecific interactions of competition and facilitation in mixed-species bird flocks. We recorded the foraging behavior and microhabitat use of flocking species in montane coniferous forests of Taiwan under different social contexts. Foraging niche breadth and niche-overlap with other flocking species were compared between individuals inside and outside of mixed flocks. For the three microhabitat variables (foraging locations, vertical strata and horizontal strata), relationships between niche-overlaps of heterospecific pairs of these flocking species and their corresponding interspecific associations were determined using a simple linear regression. While in mixed flocks, two understory species, Taiwan fulvetta Fulvetta formosana and yellowish-bellied bush warbler Horornis acanthizoides, shifted their foraging from shrubs upwards into coniferous trees. Meanwhile, flamecrests Regulus goodfellowi moved downwards vertically within the canopy, and black-throated tits Aegithalos concinnus spread out horizontally along branches. In addition, flamecrests applied many more sally-hovers inside of mixed flocks than outside of flocks. All four species are insectivores which might find it more difficult to obtain sufficient food during the colder winters when food resources become scarcer. Therefore, they may be using the increased vigilance afforded by the flock to expand their foraging niches and thus to increase their foraging opportunities inside mixed flocks. Furthermore, niche-overlaps of heterospecific pairs of the 11 common flocking species were positively correlated with their corresponding interspecific associations on all three microhabitat variables. These results indicate that a greater foraging niche-overlap between two flocking species would result in higher coexistence of the two species in mixed flocks. Consequently, facilitative interactions occurred in these mixed-species flocks in addition to competitive interactions.

Esophageal cancer, one of the most common cancers with a poor prognosis, is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Early and accurate diagnosis of esophageal cancer, thus, plays a vital role in choosing the appropriate treatment plan for patients and increasing their survival rate. However, an accurate diagnosis of esophageal cancer requires substantial expertise and experience. Nowadays, the deep learning (DL) model for the diagnosis of esophageal cancer has shown promising performance. Therefore, we conducted an updated meta-analysis to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the DL model for the diagnosis of esophageal cancer. A search of PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science, between 1 January 2012 and 1 August 2022, was conducted to identify potential studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of the DL model for esophageal cancer using endoscopic images. The study was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Two reviewers independently assessed potential studies for inclusion and extracted data from retrieved studies. Methodological quality was assessed by using the QUADAS-2 guidelines. The pooled accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and the area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) were calculated using a random effect model. A total of 28 potential studies involving a total of 703,006 images were included. The pooled accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of DL for the diagnosis of esophageal cancer were 92.90%, 93.80%, 91.73%, 93.62%, and 91.97%, respectively. The pooled AUROC of DL for the diagnosis of esophageal cancer was 0.96. Furthermore, there was no publication bias among the studies. The findings of our study show that the DL model has great potential to accurately and quickly diagnose esophageal cancer. However, most studies developed their model using endoscopic data from the Asian population. Therefore, we recommend further validation through studies of other populations as well.

BACKGROUND Obesity and lack of physical activity are major health risk factors for many life-threatening diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. The use of mobile app interventions to promote weight loss and boost physical activity among children and adults is fascinating owing to the demand for cutting-edge and more efficient interventions. Previously published studies have examined different types of technology-based interventions and their impact on weight loss and increase in physical activity, but evidence regarding the impact of only a mobile phone app on weight loss and increase in physical activity is still lacking. OBJECTIVE The main objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a mobile phone app intervention for reducing body weight and increasing physical activity among children and adults. METHODS PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, EMBASE, and the Web of Science electronic databases were searched for studies published between January 1, 2000, and April 30, 2019, without language restrictions. Two experts independently screened all the titles and abstracts to find the most appropriate studies. To be included, studies had to be either a randomized controlled trial or a case-control study that assessed a mobile phone app intervention with body weight loss and physical activity outcomes. The Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool was used to examine the risk of publication bias. RESULTS A total of 12 studies involving a mobile phone app intervention were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, the use of a mobile phone app was associated with significant changes in body weight (−1.07 kg, 95% CI −1.92 to −0.21, <i>P</i>=.01) and body mass index (−0.45 kg/m2, 95% CI −0.78 to −0.12, <i>P</i>=.008). Moreover, a nonsignificant increase in physical activity was observed (0.17, 95% CI −2.21 to 2.55, <i>P</i>=.88). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study demonstrate the promising and emerging efficacy of using mobile phone app interventions for weight loss. Future studies are needed to explore the long-term efficacy of mobile app interventions in larger samples.