Publications by authors named "Stephane Blanc"

Article Synopsis
  • Doubly labeled water is the most reliable method for measuring total energy expenditure (TEE), but its accuracy can be affected by the isotope dilution space ratio (DSR).
  • This study explored factors like age, sex, ethnicity, body composition, and geographical elevation to see how they influence DSR, using various statistical analysis methods.
  • Results showed that while DSR decreased with age in individuals 60 and older, no significant effects were found from other variables, suggesting that previous estimates of TEE might be overestimating values for older individuals, especially those around 90 years old.
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Begomoviruses, transmitted by the whitefly , pose significant threats to global agriculture due to their severe impact on various crops. Among the satellite molecules associated with begomoviruses, betasatellites play a crucial role in enhancing disease severity and yield losses. The spread and association of these molecules with helper viruses in host plants are thus matters of concern.

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Bedrest shifts fasting and postprandial fuel selection towards carbohydrate use over lipids, potentially affecting astronauts' performance and health. We investigated whether this change occurs in astronauts after at least 3 months onboard the International Space Station (ISS). We further explored the associations with diet, physical activity (PA), and body composition.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Nanoviruses are transmitted by aphids and, after being ingested, can change their genome formula within the aphid’s digestive system, which is surprising since they do not replicate during transport.
  • * The study indicates that these changes in the genome formula are not adaptive and are likely due to the differential degradation of virus particles when exposed to various conditions in the aphid's gut and saliva, rather than a response to environmental pressures like those seen in plants.
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Single-stranded DNA multipartite viruses, which mostly consist of members of the genus , family , and all members of the family , partly resolve the cost of genomic integrity maintenance through two remarkable capacities. They are able to systemically infect a host even when their genomic segments are not together in the same host cell, and these segments can be separately transmitted by insect vectors from host to host. These capacities potentially allow such viruses to reassort at a much larger spatial scale, since reassortants could arise from parental genotypes that do not co-infect the same cell or even the same host.

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Differential accumulation of the distinct genome segments is a common feature of viruses with segmented genomes. The reproducible and specific pattern of genome segment accumulation within the host is referred to as the "genome formula". There is speculation and some experimental support for a functional role of the genome formula by modulating gene expression through copy number variations.

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In recent decades of spaceflight, inadequate caloric intake has posed significant nutritional challenges, contributing to muscle degradation, weakened immune and cardiovascular systems during and after space missions. This challenge becomes more acute on longer exploration missions, where transporting all food for the entire mission becomes a logistical challenge. This places immense pressure on the food system, requiring energy-dense, varied, stable, and palatable food options.

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It is unclear how skeletal muscle metabolism and mitochondrial function adapt to long duration bed rest and whether changes can be prevented by nutritional intervention. The present study aimed (1) to assess the effect of prolonged bed rest on skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and dynamics and (2) to determine whether micronutrient supplementation would mitigate the adverse metabolic effect of bed rest. Participants were maintained in energy balance throughout 60 days of bed rest with micronutrient supplementation (INT) (body mass index: 23.

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Bunyaviruses are enveloped negative or ambisense single-stranded RNA viruses with a genome divided into several segments. The canonical view depicts each viral particle packaging one copy of each genomic segment in one polarity named the viral strand. Several opposing observations revealed nonequal ratios of the segments, uneven number of segments per virion, and even packaging of viral complementary strands.

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Astronauts in microgravity experience multi-system deconditioning, impacting their inflight efficiency and inducing dysfunctions upon return to Earth gravity. To fill the sex gap of knowledge in the health impact of spaceflights, we simulate microgravity with a 5-day dry immersion in 18 healthy women (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05043974).

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There is considerably greater variation in metabolic rates between men than between women, in terms of basal, activity and total (daily) energy expenditure (EE). One possible explanation is that EE is associated with male sexual characteristics (which are known to vary more than other traits) such as musculature and athletic capacity. Such traits might be predicted to be most prominent during periods of adolescence and young adulthood, when sexual behaviour develops and peaks.

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The replication of members of the two circular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) virus families and , the only ssDNA viruses infecting plants, is believed to be processed by rolling-circle replication (RCR) and recombination-dependent replication (RDR) mechanisms. RCR is a ubiquitous replication mode for circular ssDNA viruses and involves a virus-encoded Replication-associated protein (Rep) which fulfills multiple functions in the replication mechanism. Two key genomic elements have been identified for RCR in and : (i) short iterative sequences called iterons which determine the specific recognition of the viral DNA by the Rep and (ii) a sequence enabling the formation of a stem-loop structure which contains a conserved motif and constitutes the origin of replication.

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Background: Despite centuries of research, debate remains on the scaling of metabolic rate to mass especially for intraspecific cases. The high variation of body mass within brown bears presents a unique opportunity to study the intraspecific effects of body mass on physiological variables. The amplitude of metabolic rate reduction in hibernators is dependent on body mass of the species.

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Obesity is caused by a prolonged positive energy balance. Whether reduced energy expenditure stemming from reduced activity levels contributes is debated. Here we show that in both sexes, total energy expenditure (TEE) adjusted for body composition and age declined since the late 1980s, while adjusted activity energy expenditure increased over time.

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There is growing evidence that plant viruses manipulate their hosts and vectors in ways that increase transmission. However, to date only few viral components underlying these phenomena have been identified. Here we show that cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) protein P2 modifies the feeding behavior of its aphid vector.

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Nanoviruses are plant multipartite viruses with a genome composed of six to eight circular single-stranded DNA segments. The distinct genome segments are encapsidated individually in icosahedral particles that measure ≈18 nm in diameter. Recent studies on the model species Faba bean necrotic stunt virus (FBNSV) revealed that complete sets of genomic segments rarely occur in infected plant cells and that the function encoded by a given viral segment can complement the others across neighbouring cells, presumably by translocation of the gene products through unknown molecular processes.

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To avoid the activation of plant defenses and ensure sustained feeding, aphids are assumed to use their mouthparts to deliver effectors into plant cells. A recent study has shown that effectors detected near feeding sites are differentially distributed in plant tissues. However, the precise process of effector delivery into specific plant compartments is unknown.

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Water is essential for survival, but one in three individuals worldwide (2.2 billion people) lacks access to safe drinking water. Water intake requirements largely reflect water turnover (WT), the water used by the body each day.

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The role of physical activity (PA) in the regulation of body weight is still a major topic of debate. This may be because studies have essentially focused on the effects of moderate/vigorous PA (MVPA) on body weight while overlooking the other components of PA, namely, light-intensity PA (LPA, daily life activities) and sedentary behaviors (SB, too much sitting). In this review, we will (i) describe the history of changes in PA behaviors that occurred with modernization; (ii) review data from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that examined the associations between PA, SB, and measures of obesity; (iii) review interventional studies that investigated the effects of changes in PA and SB on body weight and adiposity; and (iv) discuss experimental studies that addressed potential biological mechanisms underlying the effects of PA and SB on weight regulation.

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In mammals, trait variation is often reported to be greater among males than females. However, to date, mainly only morphological traits have been studied. Energy expenditure represents the metabolic costs of multiple physical, physiological, and behavioral traits.

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Because multipartite viruses package their genome segments in different viral particles, they face a potentially huge cost if the entire genomic information, i.e., all genome segments, needs to be present concomitantly for the infection to function.

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Article Synopsis
  • Astronauts experience body mass loss and changes in body composition during long-term space missions, with a study observing these effects over 6 months on the International Space Station.* -
  • Measurements taken from 11 astronauts showed a significant decrease in body mass, primarily due to changes in physical activity and energy expenditure, with notable differences between individuals' responses to exercise.* -
  • Those who maintained higher energy expenditure while in space managed to preserve their fat-free mass, while others who decreased physical activity experienced a reduction in fat-free mass and an increase in body fat.*
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