BUFFALO, NY – February 16, 2026 – A new commentary was published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on February 6, 2026, titled “Censorship in science: How publishing decisions could have shaped the perceived “general consensus” on COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy.”

Loneliness has a critical impact on the mental health of citizens, particularly among the elderly. Robots capable of perceiving and responding to human emotions can serve as heart-warming companions to help lift the spirits. A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has discovered that the combined power of music and empathetic speech in robots with artificial intelligence (AI) could foster a stronger bond between humans and machines. These findings underscore the importance of a multimodal approach in designing empathetic robots, offering significant implications for their application in health support, elder care, education and beyond.

Drug labels required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are intended to guide the safe and effective use of prescription drugs, but the overzealous and hyperbolic claims of patent infringement by drug companies is tantamount to “patent gamesmanship” that could potentially limit access to affordable generic drugs, said Jacob S. Sherkow, a professor of law and of medicine at Illinois.