Showing papers by "University of Saskatchewan published in 2012"

Reactive Oxygen Species, Oxidative Damage, and Antioxidative Defense Mechanism in Plants under Stressful Conditions

Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced as a normal product of plant cellular metabolism. Various environmental stresses lead to excessive production of ROS causing progressive oxidative damage and ultimately cell death. Despite their destructive activity, they are well-described second messengers in a variety of cellular processes, including conferment of tolerance to various environmental stresses. Whether ROS would serve as signaling molecules or could cause oxidative damage to the tissues depends on the delicate equilibrium between ROS production, and their scavenging. Efficient scavenging of ROS produced during various environmental stresses requires the action of several nonenzymatic as well as enzymatic antioxidants present in the tissues. In this paper, we describe the generation, sites of production and role of ROS as messenger molecules as well as inducers of oxidative damage. Further, the antioxidative defense mechanisms operating in the cells for scavenging of ROS overproduced under various stressful conditions of the environment have been discussed in detail.

The revised classification of eukaryotes

Abstract: This revision of the classification of eukaryotes, which updates that of Adl et al. [J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 52 (2005) 399], retains an emphasis on the protists and incorporates changes since 2005 that have resolved nodes and branches in phylogenetic trees. Whereas the previous revision was successful in re-introducing name stability to the classification, this revision provides a classification for lineages that were then still unresolved. The supergroups have withstood phylogenetic hypothesis testing with some modifications, but despite some progress, problematic nodes at the base of the eukaryotic tree still remain to be statistically resolved. Looking forward, subsequent transformations to our understanding of the diversity of life will be from the discovery of novel lineages in previously under-sampled areas and from environmental genomic information.

Long-range incommensurate charge fluctuations in (y,nd)ba2cu3o6+x

Abstract: The concept that superconductivity competes with other orders in cuprate superconductors has become increasingly apparent, but obtaining direct evidence with bulk-sensitive probes is challenging We have used resonant soft x-ray scattering to identify two-dimensional charge fluctuations with an incommensurate periodicity of ~32 lattice units in the copper-oxide planes of the superconductors (Y,Nd)Ba(2)Cu(3)O(6+)(x), with hole concentrations of 009 to 013 per planar Cu ion The intensity and correlation length of the fluctuation signal increase strongly upon cooling down to the superconducting transition temperature (T(c)); further cooling below T(c) abruptly reverses the divergence of the charge correlations In combination with earlier observations of a large gap in the spin excitation spectrum, these data indicate an incipient charge density wave instability that competes with superconductivity

Global assessment of experimental climate warming on tundra vegetation: heterogeneity over space and time.

Abstract: 35 Abstract Understanding the sensitivity of tundra vegetation to climate warming is critical to forecasting future biodiversity and vegetation feedbacks to climate. In situ warming experiments accelerate climate change on a small scale to forecast responses of local plant communities. Limitations of this approach include the apparent site-specificity of results and uncertainty about the power of short-term studies to anticipate longer term change. We address these issues with a synthesis of 61 experimental warming studies, of up to 20 years duration, in tundra sites worldwide. The response of plant groups to warming often differed with ambient summer temperature, soil moisture and experimental duration. Shrubs increased with warming only where ambient temperature was high, whereas graminoids increased primarily in the coldest study sites. Linear increases in effect size over time were frequently observed. There was little indication of saturating or accelerating effects, as would be predicted if negative or positive vegetation feedbacks were common. These results indicate that tundra vegetation exhibits strong regional variation in response to warming, and that in vulnerable regions, cumulative effects of long-term warming on tundra vegetation - and associated ecosystem consequences - have the potential to be much greater than we have observed to date.

Plot-scale evidence of tundra vegetation change and links to recent summer warming.

Abstract: Temperature is increasing at unprecedented rates across most of the tundra biome(1). Remote-sensing data indicate that contemporary climate warming has already resulted in increased productivity ov ...

Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): a review.

Abstract: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important pulse crop grown and consumed all over the world, especially in the Afro-Asian countries. It is a good source of carbohydrates and protein, and protein quality is considered to be better than other pulses. Chickpea has significant amounts of all the essential amino acids except sulphur-containing amino acids, which can be complemented by adding cereals to the daily diet. Starch is the major storage carbohydrate followed by dietary fibre, oligosaccharides and simple sugars such as glucose and sucrose. Although lipids are present in low amounts, chickpea is rich in nutritionally important unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and oleic acids. β-Sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol are important sterols present in chickpea oil. Ca, Mg, P and, especially, K are also present in chickpea seeds. Chickpea is a good source of important vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, folate and the vitamin A precursor β-carotene. As with other pulses, chickpea seeds also contain anti-nutritional factors which can be reduced or eliminated by different cooking techniques. Chickpea has several potential health benefits, and, in combination with other pulses and cereals, it could have beneficial effects on some of the important human diseases such as CVD, type 2 diabetes, digestive diseases and some cancers. Overall, chickpea is an important pulse crop with a diverse array of potential nutritional and health benefits.

Education and Dementia in the Context of the Cognitive Reserve Hypothesis: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses and Qualitative Analyses

Abstract: Background Cognitive reserve (CR) or brain reserve capacity explains why individuals with higher IQ, education, or occupational attainment have lower risks of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or vascular dementia (VaD). The CR hypothesis postulates that CR reduces the prevalence and incidence of AD or VaD. It also hypothesizes that among those who have greater initial cognitive reserve (in contrast to those with less reserve) greater brain pathology occurs before the clinical symptoms of disease becomes manifest. Thus clinical disease onset triggers a faster decline in cognition and function, and increased mortality among those with initial greater cognitive reserve. Disease progression follows distinctly separate pathological and clinical paths. With education as a proxy we use meta-analyses and qualitative analyses to review the evidence for the CR hypothesis. Methodology/Principal Findings We searched PubMed, PsycoINFO, EMBASE, HealthStar, and Scopus databases from January 1980 to June 2011 for observational studies with clear criteria for dementia, AD or VaD and education. One hundred and thirty-three articles with a variety of study designs met the inclusion criteria. Prevalence and incidence studies with odds ratios (ORs), relative risks or original data were included in the meta-analyses. Other studies were reviewed qualitatively. The studies covered 437,477 subjects. Prevalence and incidence studies with pooled ORs of 2.61 (95%CI 2.21–3.07) and 1.88 (95%CI 1.51–2.34) respectively, showed low education increased the risk of dementia. Heterogeneity and sensitivity tests confirmed the evidence. Generally, study characteristics had no effect on conclusions. Qualitative analyses also showed the protective effects of higher education on developing dementia and with clinical disease onset hastening a decline in cognition and function, and greater brain pathology. Conclusion/Significance This systematic review and meta-analyses covering a wide range of observational studies and diverse settings provides robust support for the CR hypothesis. The CR hypothesis suggests several avenues for dementia prevention.

Unsaturated Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice

Abstract: Unsaturated soil mechanics has rapidly become a part of geotechnical engineering practice as a result of solutions that have emerged to a number of key problems (or challenges). The solutions have emerged from numerous research studies focusing on issues that have a hindrance to the usage of unsaturated soil mechanics. The primary challenges to the implementation of unsaturated soil mechanics can be stated as follows: (1) The need to understand the fundamental, theoretical behavior of an unsaturated soil; (2) the formulation of suitable constitutive equations and the testing for uniqueness of proposed constitutive relationships; (3) the ability to formulate and solve one or more nonlinear partial differential equations using numerical methods; (4) the determination of indirect techniques for the estimation of unsaturated soil property functions, and (5) in situ and laboratory devices for the measurement of a wide range of soil suctions. This paper explains the nature of each of the previous challenges and...

CBOL Protist Working Group: Barcoding Eukaryotic Richness beyond the Animal, Plant, and Fungal Kingdoms

Abstract: Animals, plants, and fungi—the three traditional kingdoms of multicellular eukaryotic life—make up almost all of the visible biosphere, and they account for the majority of catalogued species on Earth [1]. The remaining eukaryotes have been assembled for convenience into the protists, a group composed of many diverse lineages, single-celled for the most part, that diverged after Archaea and Bacteria evolved but before plants, animals, or fungi appeared on Earth. Given their single-celled nature, discovering and describing new species has been difficult, and many protistan lineages contain a relatively small number of formally described species (Figure 1A), despite the critical importance of several groups as pathogens, environmental quality indicators, and markers of past environmental changes. It would seem natural to apply molecular techniques such as DNA barcoding to the taxonomy of protists to compensate for the lack of diagnostic morphological features, but this has been hampered by the extreme diversity within the group. The genetic divergence observed between and within major protistan groups greatly exceeds that found in each of the three multicellular kingdoms. No single set of molecular markers has been identified that will work in all lineages, but an international working group is now close to a solution. A universal DNA barcode for protists coupled with group-specific barcodes will enable an explosion of taxonomic research that will catalyze diverse applications.

Vulnerability of coastal aquifers to groundwater use and climate change

Abstract: There are concerns that sea-level rise resulting from climate change could lead to saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers. However, a study shows that groundwater extraction is the main driver of saltwater intrusion in the United States, highlighting the importance of sustainable water management.

Association between pathological and MRI findings in multiple sclerosis

Abstract: Pathological evaluation is the gold standard for identifying processes related to multiple sclerosis that explain disease manifestations, and for guiding the development of new treatments. However, there are limitations to the techniques used, including the small number of donors available, samples often representing uncommon cases, and impossibility of follow-up. Correlative studies have demonstrated that MRI is sensitive to the different pathological substrates of multiple sclerosis (inflammation, demyelination, and neuro-axonal loss). The role of MRI in evaluating other pathological processes, such as leptomeningeal involvement, central vein and rim of lesions, microstructural abnormalities, iron accumulation, and recovery mechanisms, has been investigated. Although techniques used for quantifying pathological processes in different regions of the CNS have advanced diagnosis and monitoring of disease course and treatment of multiple sclerosis, new perspectives and questions have emerged, including how different pathological processes interact over the disease course and when remyelination might occur. Addressing these questions will require longitudinal studies using MRI in large cohorts of patients with different phenotypes.

Chemical and Morphological Changes of Li–O2 Battery Electrodes upon Cycling

Abstract: We report considerable chemical and morphological changes of reaction products in binder-free, vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) electrodes during Li–O2 battery cycling with a 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME)-based electrolyte. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) of discharged oxygen electrodes shows direct evidence for the formation of Li2CO3-like species at the interface between VACNTs and Li2O2 but not significantly on the Li2O2 surfaces exposed to the electrolyte. Although Li2O2 and Li2CO3-like species were largely removed upon first charge, the oxidation kinetics became increasingly difficult during Li–O2 cycling, which is accompanied by the accumulation of Li2CO3 in the discharged and charged electrodes as evidenced by selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Together, these results indicate that the irreversibility during Li–O2 cycling in DME can be attributed largely to the growth of Li2CO3-like species associated with the reactivity between ...

A Review of the Epidemiology of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Abstract: Partial-onset epilepsies account for about 60% of all adult epilepsy cases, and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common type of partial epilepsy referred for epilepsy surgery and often refractory to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Little is known about the epidemiology of TLE, because it requires advanced neuroimaging, positive EEG, and appropriate clinical semiology to confirm the diagnosis. Moreover, recently recognized incidentally detected mesial temporal sclerosis in otherwise healthy individuals and benign temporal epilepsy indicate that the true epidemiology of TLE is underestimated. Our current knowledge on the epidemiology of TLE derives from data published from tertiary referral centers and/or inferred from population-based studies dealing with epilepsy. This article reviews the following aspects of the epidemiology of TLE: definitions, studies describing epidemiological rates, methodological observations, the interpretation of available studies, and recommendations for future studies.

Fast Global Optimal Power Allocation in Wireless Networks by Local D.C. Programming

Abstract: Power allocations in an interference-limited wireless network for global maximization of the weighted sum throughput or global optimization of the minimum weighted rate among network links are not only important but also very hard optimization problems due to their nonconvexity nature. Recently developed methods are either unable to locate the global optimal solutions or prohibitively complex for practical applications. This paper exploits the d.c. (difference of two convex functions/sets) structure of either the objective function or constraints of these global optimization problems to develop efficient iterative algorithms with very low complexity. Numerical results demonstrate that the developed algorithms are able to locate the global optimal solutions by only a few iterations and they are superior to the previously-proposed methods in both performance and computation complexity.

Safety and efficacy of NA-1 in patients with iatrogenic stroke after endovascular aneurysm repair (ENACT): a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Abstract: Summary Background Neuroprotection with NA-1 (Tat-NR2B9c), an inhibitor of postsynaptic density-95 protein, has been shown in a primate model of stroke. We assessed whether NA-1 could reduce ischaemic brain damage in human beings. Methods For this double-blind, randomised, controlled study, we enrolled patients aged 18 years or older who had a ruptured or unruptured intracranial aneurysm amenable to endovascular repair from 14 hospitals in Canada and the USA. We used a computer-generated randomisation sequence to allocate patients to receive an intravenous infusion of either NA-1 or saline control at the end of their endovascular procedure (1:1; stratified by site, age, and aneurysm status). Both patients and investigators were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was safety and primary clinical outcomes were the number and volume of new ischaemic strokes defined by MRI at 12–95 h after infusion. We used a modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00728182. Findings Between Sept 16, 2008, and March 30, 2011, we randomly allocated 197 patients to treatment—12 individuals did not receive treatment because they were found to be ineligible after randomisation, so the mITT population consisted of 185 individuals, 92 in the NA-1 group and 93 in the placebo group. Two minor adverse events were adjudged to be associated with NA-1; no serious adverse events were attributable to NA-1. We recorded no difference between groups in the volume of lesions by either diffusion-weighted MRI (adjusted p value=0·120) or fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI (adjusted p value=0·236). Patients in the NA-1 group sustained fewer ischaemic infarcts than did patients in the placebo group, as gauged by diffusion-weighted MRI (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0·53, 95% CI 0·38–0·74) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI (0·59, 0·42–0·83). Interpretation Our findings suggest that neuroprotection in human ischaemic stroke is possible and that it should be investigated in larger trials. Funding NoNO Inc and Arbor Vita Corp.

Ovarian antral folliculogenesis during the human menstrual cycle: a review

Abstract: BACKGROUND Ovarian follicles undergo dynamic morphologic and endocrinologic changes during the human menstrual cycle. The physiologic mechanisms underlying recruitment and selection of antral follicles in women are not fully elucidated. METHODS A comprehensive review of >200 studies was conducted using PubMed. The objective was to compare and contrast different perspectives on human antral folliculogenesis. RESULTS Antral folliculogenesis has been studied using histologic, endocrinologic and/or ultrasonographic techniques. Different theories of antral follicle recruitment include: (i) continuous recruitment throughout the menstrual cycle; (ii) recruitment of a 'cohort' of antral follicles once in the late-luteal phase or early-follicular phase of each cycle and (iii) recruitment of two or three 'cohorts' or 'waves' during each cycle. Generally, a single dominant follicle is selected in the mid-follicular phase of each cycle and this follicle ovulates at mid-cycle. However, a dominant follicle may also be selected during anovulatory waves that precede the ovulatory wave in some women. CONCLUSIONS There is increasing evidence to indicate that multiple waves of antral follicles develop during the human menstrual cycle. Ovarian follicular waves in women are comparable with those documented in several animal species; however, species-specific differences exist. Enhancing our understanding of the endocrine and paracrine mechanisms underlying antral follicular wave dynamics has clinical implications for understanding age-related changes in reproductive function, optimizing hormonal contraceptive and ovarian stimulation regimens and identifying non-invasive markers of the physiologic status of follicles which are predictive of oocyte competence and assisted reproduction outcomes.

Microbial butyrate and its role for barrier function in the gastrointestinal tract

Abstract: Butyrate production in the large intestine and ruminant forestomach depends on bacterial butyryl-CoA/acetate-CoA transferase activity and is highest when fermentable fiber and nonstructural carbohydrates are balanced. Gastrointestinal epithelia seem to use butyrate and butyrate-induced endocrine signals to adapt proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation to the growth of the bacterial community. Butyrate has a potential clinical application in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; ulcerative colitis). Via inhibited release of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 13 and inhibition of histone deacetylase, butyrate may contribute to the restoration of the tight junction barrier in IBD by affecting the expression of claudin-2, occludin, cingulin, and zonula occludens poteins (ZO-1, ZO-2). Further evaluation of the molecular events that link butyrate to an improved tight junction structure will allow for the elucidation of the cofactors affecting the reliability of butyrate as a clinical treatment tool.

FRAX underestimates fracture risk in patients with diabetes

Abstract: The study objective was to determine whether diabetes is a risk factor for incident hip or major osteoporotic fractures independent of FRAX. Men and women with diabetes (N = 3,518) and non-diabetics (N = 36,085) age ≥50 years at the time of BMD testing (1990-2007) were identified in a large clinical database from Manitoba, Canada. FRAX probabilities were calculated and fracture outcomes to 2008 were established via linkage with a population-based data repository. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine if diabetes was associated with incident hip fractures or major osteoporotic fractures after controlling for FRAX risk factors. Mean 10-year probabilities of fracture were similar between groups for major fractures (diabetic 11.1 ± 7.2 vs. non-diabetic 10.9 ± 7.3, p-value = 0.116) and hip fractures (diabetic 2.9 ± 4.4 vs. non-diabetic 2.8 ± 4.4, p-value = 0.400). Diabetes was a significant predictor of subsequent major osteoporotic fracture (HR 1.61 [95% CI; 1.42-1.83]) after controlling for age, sex, medication use, and FRAX risk factors including BMD. Similar results were seen after adjusting for FRAX probability directly (HR 1.59 [95% CI; 1.40-1.79]). Diabetes was also associated with significantly higher risk for hip fractures (p-value < 0.001). Higher mortality from diabetes attenuated but did not eliminate the excess fracture risk. FRAX underestimated observed major osteoporotic and hip fracture risk in diabetics (adjusted for competing mortality), but demonstrated good concordance with observed fractures for non-diabetics. We conclude that diabetes confers an increased risk of fracture that is independent of FRAX derived with BMD. This suggests that diabetes might be considered for inclusion in future iterations of FRAX. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Pathology of Demyelinating Diseases

Abstract: There has been significant progress in our understanding of the pathology and pathogenesis of central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Neuropathological studies have provided fundamental new insights into the pathogenesis of these disorders and have led to major advances in our understanding of multiple sclerosis (MS) heterogeneity, the substrate of irreversible progressive disability in MS, the relationship between inflammation and neurodegeneration in MS, the neuroimaging correlates of MS lesions, and the pathogenesis of other central nervous system inflammatory disorders, including neuromyelitis optica, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and Balo's concentric sclerosis. Herein, we review the pathological features of these central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating disorders and discuss neuropathological studies that have yielded novel insights into potential mechanisms involved in the formation of the demyelinated lesion.

Full-body motion-based game interaction for older adults

Abstract: Older adults in nursing homes often lead sedentary lifestyles, which reduces their life expectancy. Full-body motion-control games provide an opportunity for these adults to remain active and engaged; these games are not designed with age-related impairments in mind, which prevents the games from being leveraged to increase the activity levels of older adults. In this paper, we present two studies aimed at developing game design guidelines for full-body motion controls for older adults experiencing age-related changes and impairments. Our studies also demonstrate how full-body motion-control games can accommodate a variety of user abilities, have a positive effect on mood and, by extension, the emotional well-being of older adults. Based on our studies, we present seven guidelines for the design of full-body interaction in games. The guidelines are designed to foster safe physical activity among older adults, thereby increasing their quality of life.

Review of the health benefits of peas (Pisum sativum L.).

Abstract: Pulses, including peas, have long been important components of the human diet due to their content of starch, protein and other nutrients. More recently, the health benefits other than nutrition associated with pulse consumption have attracted much interest. The focus of the present review paper is the demonstrated and potential health benefits associated with the consumption of peas, Pisum sativum L., specifically green and yellow cotyledon dry peas, also known as smooth peas or field peas. These health benefits derive mainly from the concentration and properties of starch, protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals in peas. Fibre from the seed coat and the cell walls of the cotyledon contributes to gastrointestinal function and health, and reduces the digestibility of starch in peas. The intermediate amylose content of pea starch also contributes to its lower glycaemic index and reduced starch digestibility. Pea protein, when hydrolysed, may yield peptides with bioactivities, including angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor activity and antioxidant activity. The vitamin and mineral contents of peas may play important roles in the prevention of deficiency-related diseases, specifically those related to deficiencies of Se or folate. Peas contain a variety of phytochemicals once thought of only as antinutritive factors. These include polyphenolics, in coloured seed coat types in particular, which may have antioxidant and anticarcinogenic activity, saponins which may exhibit hypocholesterolaemic and anticarcinogenic activity, and galactose oligosaccharides which may exert beneficial prebiotic effects in the large intestine.

Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference 2012: recommendations for the management of pain by intrathecal (intraspinal) drug delivery: report of an interdisciplinary expert panel.

Abstract: Introduction: The use of intrathecal (IT) infusion of analgesic medications to treat patients with chronic refractory pain has increased since its inception in the 1980s, and the need for clinical research in IT therapy is ongoing. The Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference (PACC) panel of experts convened in 2000, 2003, and 2007 to make recommendations on the rational use of IT analgesics based on preclinical and clinical literature and clinical experiences. Methods: The PACC panel convened again in 2011 to update the standard of care for IT therapies to reflect current knowledge gleaned from literature and clinical experience. A thorough literature search was performed, and information from this search was provided to panel members. Analysis of published literature was coupled with the clinical experience of panel members to form recommendations regarding the use of IT analgesics to treat chronic pain. Results: After a review of literature published from 2007 to 2011 and discussions of clinical experience, the panel created updated algorithms for the rational use of IT medications for the treatment of neuropathic pain and nociceptive pain. Conclusions: The advent of new algorithmic tracks for neuropathic and nociceptive pain is an important step in improving patient care. The panel encourages continued research and development, including the development of new drugs, devices, and safety recommendations to improve the care of patients with chronic pain.

Do IRS Audits Deter Corporate Tax Avoidance

Abstract: We extend research on the determinants of corporate tax avoidance to include the role of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) monitoring. Our evidence from large samples implies that U.S. public firms undertake less aggressive tax positions when tax enforcement is stricter. Reflecting its first-order economic impact on firms, our coefficient estimates imply that raising the probability of an IRS audit from 19 percent (the 25th percentile in our data) to 37 percent (the 75th percentile) increases their cash effective tax rates, on average, by nearly two percentage points, which amounts to a 7 percent increase in cash effective tax rates. These results are robust to controlling for firm size and time, which determine our primary proxy for IRS enforcement, in different ways; specifying several alternative dependent and test variables; and confronting potential endogeneity with instrumental variables and panel data estimations, among other techniques. JEL Classifications: M40; G34; G32; H25.

Towards an Effective Health Interventions Design: An Extension of the Health Belief Model

Abstract: Introduction: The recent years have witnessed a continuous increase in lifestyle related health challenges around the world. As a result, researchers and health practitioners have focused on promoting healthy behavior using various behavior change interventions. The designs of most of these interventions are informed by health behavior models and theories adapted from various disciplines. Several health behavior theories have been used to inform health intervention designs, such as the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Transtheoretical Mode, and the Health Belief Model (HBM). However, the Health Belief Model (HBM), developed in the 1950s to investigate why people fail to undertake preventive health measures, remains one of the most widely employed theories of health behavior. However, the effectiveness of this model is limited. The first limitation is the low predictive capacity (R2 < 0.21 on average) of existing HBM’s variables coupled with the small effect size of individual variables. The second is lack of clear rules of combination and relationship between the individual variables. In this paper, we propose a solution that aims at addressing these limitations as follows: (1) we extended the Health Belief Model by introducing four new variables: Self-identity, Perceived Importance, Consideration of Future Consequences, and Concern for Appearance as possible determinants of healthy behavior. (2) We exhaustively explored the relationships/interactions between the HBM variables and their effect size. (3) We tested the validity of both our proposed extended model and the original HBM on healthy eating behavior. Finally, we compared the predictive capacity of the original HBM model and our extended model. Methods: To achieve the objective of this paper, we conducted a quantitative study of 576 participants’ eating behavior. Data for this study were collected over a period of one year (from August 2011 to August 2012). The questionnaire consisted of validated scales assessing the HBM determinants – perceived benefit, barrier, susceptibility, severity, cue to action, and self-efficacy – using 7-point Likert scale. We also assessed other health determinants such as consideration of future consequences, self-identity, Concern for appearance and perceived importance. To analyses our data, we employed factor analysis and Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) to exhaustively explore the interaction/relationship between the determinants and healthy eating behavior. We tested for the validity of both our proposed extended model and the original HBM on healthy eating behavior. Finally, we compared the predictive capacity of the original HBM model and our extended model and investigated possible mediating effects. Results: The results show that the three newly added determinants are better predictors of healthy behavior. Our extended HBM model lead to approximately 78% increase (from 40 to 71%) in predictive capacity compared to the old model. This shows the suitability of our extended HBM for use in predicting healthy behavior and in informing health intervention design. The results from examining possible relationships between the determinants in our model lead to an interesting discovery of some mediating relationships between the HBM’s determinants, therefore, shedding light on some possible combinations of determinants that could be employed by intervention designers to increase the effectiveness of their design. Conclusion: Consideration of future consequences, self-identity, concern for appearance, perceived importance, self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility are significant determinants of healthy eating behavior that can be manipulated by healthy eating intervention design. Most importantly, the result from our model established the existence of some mediating relationships among the determinants. The knowledge of both the direct and indirect relationships sheds some light on the possible combination rules