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In this issue 15 papers · 5 free

01 Geophysical Research Letters Emerging Hotspots of Cropland Expansion on Steeper Tropical Terrains Intensify Tropical Forest Carbon Loss Free
02 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Brain metabolic correlates of heroin addiction severity during abstinence and heroin versus social seeking: A PET study in rats Free
03 Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Fundamental effective temperature measurements for eclipsing binary stars - IX. Characterisation of 5 solar-type eclipsing binaries with M-dwarf companions Free
04 Nature Communications Neoadjuvant PD1 plus CTLA-4 immune checkpoint blockade in surgically resectable recurrent glioblastoma: a randomized surgical window-of-opportunity trial Free
05 Nature Communications Steric control of signaling bias in the immunometabolic receptor GPR84 Free
06 Science Spatially resolved single-cell atlas reveals the macroevolutionary trajectory of animal hearts Subscribers
07 Science Advances Upconverted nanoparticle for 2D nanomapping of excitation energy transfer in conjugated polymer Subscribers
08 PNAS Nexus Limb restraint induces a rapid and profound decrease in core body temperature associated with the stress response in mice Subscribers
09 Nature Communications Helicobacter pylori triggers gastric mucosal remodeling toward a fetal-like transcriptional program via stromal IL-1β signaling Subscribers
10 Science (Un)intended consequences of mass-prescribing GLP-1s Subscribers
11 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Retinotopic remapping of the visual system in deaf adults Subscribers
12 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences State-sponsored agenda setting: Measuring the impact of narrative laundering Subscribers
13 eLife Differential locus coeruleus-hippocampus interactions during offline states Subscribers
14 eLife Realistic coupling enables flexible macroscopic traveling waves in the mouse cortex Subscribers
15 Science Advances Bioinspired strong and rigid fusion-spun graphene fibers for harsh robotics Subscribers

The papers Read free

Geophysical Research Letters·4 September 2026

Xiaofeng Yang, Alan D. Ziegler et al.

Tropical cropland is spreading onto steeper forest land, tripling yearly carbon loss since 2004.

Farmers in the tropics are clearing forests on steeper hillsides than before to grow more crops. This shift matters because steep, hard-to-reach forests often store more carbon. Between 2004 and 2019, forest loss from farming grew faster each period, and the carbon released nearly tripled, going from 46 to 130 million tons of carbon a year.

The number 46 to 130 TgC per year

Yearly forest carbon loss from cropland expansion, measured from 2004 to 2019.

Satellite data only, 2004 to 2019, cannot prove farmer motives.

Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 8 September 2026. Xiaofeng Yang, Alan D. Ziegler et al., Emerging Hotspots of Cropland Expansion on Steeper Tropical Terrains Intensify Tropical Forest Carbon Loss Read the source

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·4 September 2026

Ginevra D’Ottavio, Alana Sullivan et al.

In rats, resting brain activity, not drug-seeking behavior, tracked how severe heroin addiction was.

Rats trained to seek both heroin and social contact used more brain energy than rats given only saline. This extra energy use showed up in many brain areas, both when the rats rested and when they sought heroin or company. The strongest clue to addiction severity was not seen during active drug seeking. Instead, it showed up in the resting brain, with certain regions using less energy and others using more.

What it could change A resting brain scan pattern lined up with how severe heroin addiction was in rats.

Shown only in trained rats during rest, not during active heroin or social seeking.

Rats only, small brain-scan study, no human data yet.

Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 8 September 2026. Ginevra D’Ottavio, Alana Sullivan et al., Brain metabolic correlates of heroin addiction severity during abstinence and heroin versus social seeking: A PET study in rats Read the source

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·4 September 2026

Axel Hahlin, Pierre F L Maxted et al.

Five double-star systems now have star sizes and masses measured to within a fraction of a percent.

Five pairs of stars were measured with very high precision. Each pair has a sun-like star and a small dim red star circling each other. Scientists used dips in starlight, when one star crosses in front of the other, to work out each star's size, mass, and heat. The faint red star barely changes the light, so the pair looks almost like one single star, which makes it a great test case for checking other telescopes.

The number 5 star systems, sub-percent precision

How precisely the size, mass, and heat of each star pair were pinned down.

Only 5 star systems studied, no broader claim yet.

Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 6 September 2026. Axel Hahlin, Pierre F L Maxted et al., Fundamental effective temperature measurements for eclipsing binary stars - IX. Characterisation of 5 solar-type eclipsing binaries with M-dwarf companions Read the source

Nature Communications·5 September 2026

Lu Sun, Lauren F. Markus et al.

Two combined immune drugs raised immune cell levels in brain tumors and lengthened survival.

A brain tumor called glioblastoma often comes back after treatment. In this study, giving two immune-boosting drugs together before surgery packed more immune cells into the tumor than giving no drugs. Patients who got both drugs before and after surgery lived a median of 402 days. Patients who got only one drug lived a median of 273 days.

The number 402 days vs 273 days

Median survival for patients given two immune drugs versus one immune drug before brain tumor surgery.

Small trial of 63 patients, not yet proven in larger groups.

Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 8 September 2026. Lu Sun, Lauren F. Markus et al., Neoadjuvant PD1 plus CTLA-4 immune checkpoint blockade in surgically resectable recurrent glioblastoma: a randomized surgical window-of-opportunity trial Read the source

Nature Communications·5 September 2026

Pinqi Wang, Xuan Zhang et al.

In lab experiments, tiny shape changes in a drug controlled which of two cell signals turned on.

A cell surface sensor called GPR84 can send two different internal signals when a drug binds to it. Scientists found three similar drug molecules that turn on one signal fully but turn on a second signal by very different amounts. A detailed picture of one drug attached to the sensor showed that small chemical bumps on the drug push against two spots inside the sensor. This breaks a chain of connections that the sensor needs to trigger the second signal, while leaving the first signal untouched.

The number 3 matched drug molecules

The number of similar drugs compared to see how small shape changes shift which cell signal turns on.

Lab and computer study only, no animal or human testing yet.

Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 8 September 2026. Pinqi Wang, Xuan Zhang et al., Steric control of signaling bias in the immunometabolic receptor GPR84 Read the source

10 more papers are in the full issue.

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Science·3 September 2026

Shanshan Lian, Wei Wang et al.