Therapeutic Potential of Social Chatbots in Alleviating Loneliness and Social Anxiety: Quasi-Experimental Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) social chatbots represent a major advancement in merging technology with mental health, offering benefits through natural and emotional communication. Unlike task-oriented chatbots, social chatbots build relationships and provide social support, which can positively impact mental health outcomes like loneliness and social anxiety. However, the specific effects and mechanisms through which these chatbots influence mental health remain underexplored.

Erratum To: Spontaneous rupture of a renal artery pseudoaneurysm in a previously hypertensive patient.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40885-014-0011-4.].

Endoscopic submucosal dissection of a large colonic lipoma: Report of two cases.

A colonic lipoma is a very rare benign tumor that is usually asymptomatic and is found incidentally by colonoscopy. Patients with a large colonic lipoma may present with symptoms such as abdominal pain, bleeding, and colonic obstruction or intussusceptions. We report two patients with large colonic lipomas and symptoms.

Spontaneous rupture of a renal artery pseudoaneurysm in a previously hypertensive patient.

Previously, renal artery pseudoaneurysms were thought to be extremely uncommon. However, these lesions are now being detected more frequently as incidental findings on computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and the extensive use of angiography. The incidence of ruptured renal artery pseudoaneurysms is very low.

Effects of suppressing intrarenal angiotensinogen on renal transforming growth factor-beta1 expression in acute ureteral obstruction.

Background: Angiotensin II (Ang II) mediates the up-regulation of fibrogenic factors such as transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in chronic renal diseases. In addition, it has been proposed that the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is as important as the systemic RAS in kidney disease progression.

Methods: We suppressed angiotensinogen (AGT) gene expression in the kidney by transferring recombinant adenoviral vectors carrying a transgene expressing AGT antisense mRNA, and determined the effect of the local inhibition of the RAS on TGF-beta1 synthesis in the kidneys of rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO).