The Parasocial Relationships Between Homosexual YouTubers and Their Followers That Affect Influencer Marketing

In influencer marketing, the most important factor impacting the effectiveness of sponsored videos is the credibility of the influencer, and one of the drivers of this credibility is the parasocial relationship between the influencer and their followers. The influencer’s self-disclosure is essential for viewers to develop strong feelings, and the disclosure of sensitive matters, such as sexual orientation, is thought to create a very strong connection between social media figures and their followers with the same orientation. Accordingly, sales promotion videos posted by homosexual influencers may have a more positive impact on their viewers. In this study, we aimed to determine how followers feel about homosexual influencers’ sponsored videos. Using a qualitative open coding method, we analysed 6,256 viewer comments posted on 72 sponsored videos on the YouTube channels of 13 homosexual content creators and found that the viewers’ comments could be categorised into five types: empathy, admiration, encouragement, sharing and disillusionment. We found that influencer marketing is essentially risky because, other than admiration comments, most comments regarding sponsored videos are not completely positive. To reduce the risks of influencer marketing, it is essential for brands to understand the target community and to be willing to consider the community culture during product development

High Level of Rheumatoid Factor is Associated with Hepatitis B Viremia in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Hepatitis viruses are causative agents for chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However these viruses are also associated with lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs), such as essential mixed cryoglobulinemia and B-cell non-Hodgkin\u27s lymphoma. Indeed, hepatitis C virus infection has been confirmed to be associated with LPDs, but the pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and LPDs in 84 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CH-B). LPD markers, such as cryoglobulinemia, high levels of rheumatoid factor (RF), hypocomplementemia, and B cell clonality, were measured and analyzed along with viral factors. Results showed that high levels of RF were observed in 39.5% of patients with CH-B. These high RF levels were not associated with abnormal levels of other LPD markers, but only with the presence of HBV DNA in the sera of these patients. Undergoing therapy with nucleotide analogues was also associated with high RF. In two patients with CH-B, decreasing levels of RF were observed during antiviral therapy. In conclusion, high RF levels are associated with HBV viremia in patients with CH-B. HBV infection also plays an important role in the genesis of LPDs in patients with viral hepatitis

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab

The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension

Pyogenic granuloma associated with Actinomyces israelii

Peculiar findings of orofacial actinomycosis mimicking the clinical appearance of a tumor of the upper gingiva are reported. An 83-year-old man with bleeding of the gingiva visited our hospital. The clinical diagnosis was a benign gingival tumor, and the lesion was surgically removed. Histologically, the excised specimens showed an ulcerative granuloma lesion covered by bacterial colonies consisting of club-shaped filaments. DNA samples were extracted from paraffin sections and examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Actinomyces species. The PCR products examined by direct DNA sequencing demonstrated the presence of Actinomyces israelii. Finally, a pathological diagnosis was made of a pyogenic granuloma associated with actinomycosis. The PCR method aided the early and exact diagnosis of the paraffin-embedded sample of oral mucosal infectious diseases including actinomycosis. Keywords: Actinomyces israelii, actinomycosis, DNA sequence, nested PCR, pyogenic granulom