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PurposeSponsorship has become an important marketing activity. However, research on the topic treats the sponsorship context, characterized according to the type of sponsored property and the social role of these properties, as a stable characteristic or as a dichotomous characteristic within empirical studies. Therefore, the authors outline a multi-level typology of the different types of sponsorship contexts to account for traditional types of sponsorship as well as emerging themes such as online sponsorship. The authors then propose an agenda for future research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conduct a general review of the sponsorship literature to synthesize established sponsorship types with newly emerging themes to develop a multi-level typology of sponsorship contexts and a research agenda.FindingsThe authors’ conceptual analysis revealed a typology of sponsorship contexts that captures both general and specific types of sports sponsorship, prosocial cause sponsorship, culture and community sponsorship, and media and programming content sponsorship.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ typology provides an organizing framework for future research focussing on different sponsorship contexts. However, the emergent categories still require further empirical testing. Therefore, the authors develop a set of questions to guide future research on the topic.Practical implicationsThe authors’ typology outlines the different sponsorship contexts that should be considered by organizations that engage in sponsorship-linked marketing.Originality/valueThis paper provides a multi-level categorization of sponsorship contexts that integrates both traditional categories and newly emerging categories to better inform future research on situational differences in sponsorship.

Background Adjuvant chemotherapy is the standard form of care for resected pancreatic cancer (PC) patients. Its treatment regimens include monotherapy with gemcitabine or S-1 and combination therapy with gemcitabine plus capecitabine or modified FOLFIRINOX (fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, leucovorin). Whether the efficacy of the adjuvant gemcitabine plus S-1 (GS) combination is realized remains uncertain. Methods This single-institute, retrospective, real-world study included 122 patients with resected PC from the period January 2014 to July 2021. Amongst them, 73 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, with 21 and 35 patients receiving gemcitabine monotherapy and GS combination adjuvant chemotherapy, respectively. The clinical characteristics, outcomes and toxicities of chemotherapy were compared between these two groups. Results The disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for the patients who had received GS combination were 15.8 months and 31.2 months, respectively. Compared with gemcitabine monotherapy, there was a trend towards favorable DFS (10.7 months in gemcitabine monotherapy, p  = 0.083), but no OS benefits (24 months, p  = 0.517) with GS combination. However, for patients in an advanced disease condition (Stages II and III), the GS combination offered statistically significant longer DFS (14.9 vs. 8.8 months; p  = 0.015) and OS (31.2 vs. 21.6 months; p  = 0.036), when compared with gemcitabine monotherapy. The adverse effects were comparable between the two groups. Conclusions In our real-world study, use of the GS combination could be another option for resected PC patients, particularly for those who are in a more advanced (Stage II and III) disease condition.

Purpose The paper aims to compare two general team identification processes of consumers’ in-group-favor and out-group-animosity responses to sports sponsorship. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on two studies and four samples of professional baseball fans in Taiwan (N = 1,294). In Study 1, data from the fans of three teams were analyzed by using multi-group structural equation modeling to account for team effects and to consider parallel in-group-favor and out-group-animosity processes. In Study 2, the fans of one team were sampled and randomly assigned to assess the sponsors of one of three specific competitor teams to account for differences in team competition and rivalry. In both studies, these two processes were compared using patterns of significant relationships and differences in the indirect identification-attitude-outcome relationships. Findings Positive outcomes of in-group-favor processes were broader in scope and were more pronounced in absolute magnitude than the negative outcomes of out-group-animosity processes across all outcomes and studies. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted in one country and considered the sponsorship of one sport. It is possible that the results could differ for leagues within different countries, more global leagues and different fan bases. Practical implications The results suggest that managers should carefully consider whether the negative out-group-animosity outcomes are actually present, broad enough or strong enough to warrant costly or compromising intervention, because they might not always be present or meaningful. Originality/value The paper demonstrates the comparatively greater breadth and strength of in-group-favor processes when compared directly to out-group-animosity processes.

The viscoelastic properties of materials such as polymers can be quantitatively evaluated by measuring and analyzing the viscoelastic behaviors such as stress relaxation and creep. The standard linear solid model is a classical and commonly used mathematical model for analyzing stress relaxation and creep behaviors. Traditionally, the constitutive equations for analyzing stress relaxation and creep behaviors based on the standard linear solid model are derived using the assumption that the loading is a step function, implying that the loading rate used in the loading process of stress relaxation and creep tests is infinite. Using such constitutive equations may cause significant errors in analyses since the loading rate must be finite (no matter how fast it is) in a real stress relaxation or creep experiment. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the constitutive equations for analyzing stress relaxation and creep behaviors based on the standard linear solid model derived with a finite loading rate. The finite element computational simulation results demonstrate that the constitutive equations derived with a finite loading rate can produce accurate results in the evaluation of all viscoelastic parameters regardless of the loading rate in most cases. It is recommended that the constitutive equations derived with a finite loading rate should replace the traditional ones derived with an infinite loading rate to analyze stress relaxation and creep behaviors for quantitatively evaluating the viscoelastic properties of materials.

Background: The world’s age-related health concerns continue to rise. Audio-vestibular disorders, such as hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo, are common complaints in the elderly and are associated with social and public health burdens. Various preventative measures can ease their impact, including healthy food consumption, nutritional supplementation, and lifestyle modification. We aim to provide a comprehensive summary of current possible strategies for preventing the age-related audio-vestibular dysfunction. Methods: A PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane review databases search was conducted to identify the relationship between diet, lifestyle, and audio-vestibular dysfunction. “Diet”, “nutritional supplement”, “lifestyle”, “exercise”, “physical activity”, “tinnitus”, “vertigo” and “age-related hearing loss” were used as keywords. Results: Audio-vestibular dysfunction develops and progresses as a result of age-related inflammation and oxidative stress. Diets with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects have been proposed to alleviate this illness. A high-fat diet may induce oxidative stress and low protein intake is associated with hearing discomfort in the elderly. Increased carbohydrate and sugar intake positively correlate with the incidence of audio-vestibular dysfunction, whereas a Mediterranean-style diet can protect against the disease. Antioxidants in the form of vitamins A, C, and E; physical activity; good sleep quality; smoking cessation; moderate alcohol consumption; and avoiding noise exposure are also beneficial. Conclusions: Adequate diet or nutritional interventions with lifestyle modification may protect against developing audio-vestibular dysfunction in elderly individuals.

Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) reflects the average blood sugar over the past eight to twelve weeks. Several demographic and lifestyle factors are known to affect HbA1c levels. We evaluated the association of HbA1c with aerobic and resistance exercise in non-diabetic Taiwanese adults based on the waist-hip ratio (WHR). We conducted this study based on TWB data collected from 90,958 individuals between 2008 and 2019. We estimated the Beta (β) coefficient and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for HbA1c using multivariate regression models. Based on the multivariate analysis, lower HbA1c levels were associated with both resistance exercise (β-coefficient = -0.027, 95% CI -0.037 to -0.017) and aerobic exercise (β-coefficient = 0.018, 95% CI, -0.023 to -0.013). Higher HbA1c levels were associated with abnormal WHR compared to normal WHR (β-coefficient = 0.091, 95% CI, 0.086 to 0.096). We detected an interaction between exercise and WHR (p for interaction = 0.0181). To determine the magnitude of the interaction, we performed additional analyses (with the reference group being 'abnormal WHR with no exercise') and observed substantial decreases in HbA1c regardless of the WHR and exercise category. However, the largest reduction occurred in the 'normal WHR and resistance exercise' group (β = -0.121, 95% CI, -0.132 to -0.109). We found that normal resistance exercise, coupled with a normal WHR was significantly associated with lower HbA1c levels among non-diabetic individuals in Taiwan.

Background Adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended as the standard treatment for patients with stage II/III resected gastric cancer. However, it is unclear whether older patients also benefit from an adjuvant chemotherapy strategy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical impact of adjuvant chemotherapy in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer. Methods This retrospective, real-world study analyzed 404 patients with stage II/III gastric cancer visited at our institute between January 2009 and December 2019. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients aged 70 years or older who received adjuvant chemotherapy were compared with those who did not receive this type of treatment. Propensity score analysis was performed to mitigate selection bias. Results Of the 404 patients analyzed, 179 were aged 70 years or older. Fewer older patients received adjuvant chemotherapy than did younger patients (60.9% vs. 94.7%, respectively; P  < 0.001). Among patients aged 70 years or older, those who received adjuvant chemotherapy had improved disease-free survival (DFS) (5-year DFS rate, 53.1% vs. 30.4%; P  < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (5-year OS rate, 68.7% vs. 52.1%; P  = 0.002) compared to those who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. A similar survival benefit was observed in the propensity-matched cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that more advanced stage was associated with poorer OS. Receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy was independently associated with a decreased hazard of death (hazard ratio (HR), 0.37; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.20–0.68; P  = 0.002). Conclusions Adjuvant chemotherapy may benefit older stage II/III gastric cancer patients aged ≥ 70 years. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) represents a rare but aggressive malignancy, often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved outcomes in biliary tract cancers, GBC-specific evidence remains limited due to underrepresentation in pivotal clinical trials. Objectives: To evaluate the real-world effectiveness and safety of durvalumab combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin (Durva + gemcitabine and cisplatin (GemCis)) compared to GemCis alone in patients with advanced GBC. Design: Retrospective, multi-institutional cohort study. Methods: Data were collected from the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network. Adults diagnosed with advanced GBC between January 2020 and January 2025 who received Durva + GemCis or GemCis as first-line therapy were included. Propensity score matching (1:1) was performed based on age, sex, race, metastatic sites, and tumor marker levels. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), whereas secondary outcomes included adverse events (AEs). Results: Among 2458 patients with advanced GBC, 130 received Durva + GemCis and 201 received GemCis. After matching, 111 patients per group were analyzed. Median OS was significantly longer in the Durva + GemCis group compared to the GemCis group (13.1 vs 8.5 months; log-rank p = 0.028). Most AEs were comparable between groups; however, malaise and fatigue were more frequently reported in the Durva group (28.8% vs 16.2%; hazard ratio: 1.98, 95% confidence interval: 1.11–3.53). Conclusion: In this real-world study, the addition of durvalumab to GemCis was associated with improved OS in patients with advanced GBC, with a manageable safety profile. These exploratory findings should be interpreted with caution, underscoring the need for dedicated GBC-specific prospective trials.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Over the past decade, significant therapeutic advancements have improved the survival rates of patients with pancreatic cancer. One of the primary factors contributing to these positive outcomes is the evolution of chemotherapy, from monotherapy to doublet or triplet regimens, and the integration of multimodal approaches. Additionally, targeted agents tailored to patients with specific genetic alterations and the development of cell therapies show promise in benefiting certain subpopulations. This article focuses on examining pivotal studies that explore the role of chemotherapy in neoadjuvant, adjuvant, maintenance, and salvage settings; highlights interesting findings related to cell therapy; and provides an overview of ongoing trials concerning metastatic settings. This review primarily aimed to offer recommendations based on therapeutic evidence, recent advancements in new treatment combinations, and the most innovative approaches. A unique aspect of this review is the inclusion of published papers on clinical trials and real-world data in Taiwan, thus adding a valuable perspective to the overall analysis.

Adding S-1 to standard chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel improved survival for people with advanced pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers, and most patients with advanced disease live less than a year. Standard treatment often includes two drugs: gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. A newer drug called S-1 is also used in Asia, and adding it to this standard treatment may improve outcomes. We looked back at medical records of 89 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated at Taichung Veterans General Hospital between 2022 and 2025. Patients received either gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GA) or the same treatment with S-1 added (GAS). The results showed that patients who received GAS had better tumor response, longer time before the cancer worsened, and lived longer compared to those who received GA. These benefits were also seen in patients with common genetic changes in their tumors. The GAS treatment caused more side effects affecting blood counts, but no deaths were linked to treatment. Overall, adding S-1 to standard chemotherapy may be a promising option for people with advanced pancreatic cancer.