Direct Effect Research Articles

Impact of a College Sexual Violence Prevention Program on Condom Use: A Mediation Analysis.

College-age students are disproportionately impacted by sexually transmitted infections. Campus programs that reduce sexual violence have received recent investment, are increasingly common, and may offer a platform to increase condom use, but this has not yet been investigated. We explore this novel question through a secondary analysis of a randomized control trial of RealConsent, a web-based, sexual assault program for college women, on three college campuses. By estimating single and multiple-mediator models we examine the relationships between study assignment, the hypothesized mediators: self-efficacy to discuss safer sex, and clarity and assertiveness in sexual communication, and consistent condom use at follow-up. In the single mediator models, self-efficacy for safer sex communication (aOR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.19, p = .004), assertiveness in sexual communication (aOR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02-1.11, p =.004), and clarity in sexual communication (aOR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00-1.05, p = .026) demonstrated significant direct effects on condom use. No statistically significant relationships between RealConsent and the mediators, nor indirect effects were found. In the multimediator model, there were no statistically significant associations identified. Self-efficacy, assertiveness, and clarity in communication about sex may have a positive impact on condom use but we did not find evidence that RealConsent impacted these mediators and thus no mediated effect was identified. Additional research is needed to develop and assess college-based sexual violence prevention programs that include an additional focus on skills specifically related to condom negotiation and use to understand if these widespread programs offer an efficient and effective platform to reduce the impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among this high-risk population.

Growth mindset, Grit, and Academic Self-efficacy as determinants of Academic Performance in Peruvian university students

Currently, the study of non-cognitive variables and their effect on the academic performance of students has gained relevance. In view of that, the purpose of the present study was to analyze through structural equation modeling to what extent growth mindset, self-efficacy, and grit have direct effects on student performance. For this, an explanatory design of latent variables was followed, in which 305 university students participated, including men (41.8%) and women (58.2%), who reported an average age of 22.8 (SD = 3.5), all included due to convenience. To measure the independent variables, the ITIS (growth mindset), Grit-S (tenacity) and EPAESA (academic self-efficacy) were applied, while for the measurement of the dependent variable, the grades of the students of the two last semesters were used. Among the main findings, it is reported that growth mindset, grit, and self-efficacy have direct and significant effects on the academic performance of students. In conclusion, this set of non‑cognitive variables successfully explains the academic performance of the study participants.

The high-energy tail of energetic electron precipitation: solar wind drivers and geomagnetic responses

Compositional NOx changes caused by energetic electron precipitation (EEP) at a specific altitude and those co-dependent on vertical transport are referred to as the EEP direct and indirect effect, respectively. The direct effect of EEP at lower mesospheric and upper stratospheric altitudes is linked to the high-energy tail of EEP (≳ 300 keV). The relative importance of this direct effect on NOx, ozone, and atmospheric dynamics remains unresolved due to inadequate particle measurements and scarcity of polar mesospheric NOx observations. An accurate parameterization of the high-energy tail of EEP is, therefore, crucial. This study utilizes EEP flux data from MEPED aboard the POES/Metop satellites from 2004–2014. Data from both hemispheres (55–70° N/S) are combined in daily flux estimates. 164 peaks above the 90th percentile of the ≳ 30 keV flux are identified. These peaks are categorized into absolute E1 and E3 events representing weak and strong ≳ 300 keV responses, respectively. A subset of absolute E1 and E3 events with similar ≳ 30 keV responses is termed overlapping events. Additionally, relative E1 and E3 events are determined by the relative strength of the ≳ 300 keV response, scaled by the initial ≳ 30 keV flux. A comparison between E1 and E3 events aims to identify solar wind and geomagnetic conditions leading to high-energy EEP responses and to gain insight into the conditions that generate a high-energy tail, independent of the initial ≳ 30 keV flux level. Superposed epoch analysis of mesospheric NO density from SOFIE confirms an observable direct impact on lower mesospheric chemistry associated with the absolute E3 events. A probability assessment based on absolute events identifies specific thresholds in the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling function (epsilon) and the geomagnetic indices Kp*10 and Dst, capable of determining the occurrence or exclusion of absolute E1 and E3 events. Elevated solar wind speeds persisting in the recovery phase of a deep Dst trough appear characteristic of overlapping and relative E3 events. This study provides insight into which parameters are important for accurately modeling the high-energy tail of EEP.

Indirect genetic effects should make group size more evolvable than expected.

Group size is an important trait for many ecological and evolutionary processes. However, it is not a trait possessed by individuals but by social groups, and as many genomes contribute to group size understanding its genetic underpinnings and so predicting its evolution is a conceptual challenge. Here I suggest how group size can be modelled as a joint phenotype of multiple individuals, and so how models for evolution accounting for indirect genetic effects are essential for understanding the genetic variance of group size. This approach makes it clear that (a) group size should have a larger genetic variance than initially expected as indirect genetic effects always contribute exactly as much as direct genetic effects and (b) the response to selection of group size should be faster than expected based on direct genetic variance alone as the correlation between direct and indirect effects is always at the maximum positive limit of 1. Group size should therefore show relatively rapid evolved increases and decreases, the consequences of which and evidence for I discuss.

ANALYSIS OF ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF WORKPLACE-RELATED BURNOUT AMONG CROATIAN EMPLOYEES IN THE POST-COVID-19 ERA

Employee burnout is considered a serious problem in today’s organizations, having severe repercussions both on individual and operational levels. A large number of studies have been conducted to identify antecedents and consequences of burnout but were mostly carried out in medical and other helping professions. This research aims to explore the burnout of employees working in Croatian companies by developing a multidimensional model that explores the influence of three elements that are considered typical features of today’s modern, post-pandemic workplace: information overload, demands at work, and multitasking. In addition, it observes the influence of burnout on employee decision-making style and the moderating effects of information accuracy and time pressure on the burnout-decision-making relationship. A total of 567 employees working in various industries and carrying out different professions completed an online survey, and linear regression analysis was applied to analyze the data. The results confirmed the direct positive effect of information overload and demands at work on burnout and the direct positive effect of burnout on poor decision-making style. This study is one of the first studies conducted in Croatia on employees in the business sector, so it contributes to the field with important theoretical implications and practical and managerial recommendations.

The direct and indirect effects of social rejection during school years on social dominance orientation

AbstractSocial dominance orientation (SDO) refers to the degree to which people support the superiority of an ingroup over outgroups and oppose equality. It has been consistently found to be a strong predictor of negative attitudes toward disadvantaged groups. Therefore, understanding the factors that predict SDO might be the first step in reducing negative attitudes toward these groups and promoting equality. The purpose of this study is to examine whether childhood experiences of being a victim of social rejection can predict SDO in adulthood. An additional goal is to examine whether empathic concern and resilience can mediate this association. Using a quantitative method, a questionnaire that tested social rejection during school years, SDO, empathic concern, and resilience was administered to 589 Israeli adults. In accordance with the hypotheses, social rejection was found to be a predictor of SDO after adjusting for gender and religion, mediated by empathic concern and resilience. The findings of the current study contribute to social dominance theory since they demonstrate for the first time that social rejection at school has direct and indirect effects on SDO through empathic concern and resilience.

Converging Effects of Chronic Pain and Binge Alcohol Consumption on Anterior Insular Cortex Neurons Projecting to the Dorsolateral Striatum in Male Mice.

Chronic pain and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are highly comorbid, and patients with chronic pain are more likely to meet the criteria for AUD. Evidence suggests that both conditions alter similar brain pathways, yet this relationship remains poorly understood. Prior work shows that the anterior insular cortex (AIC) is involved in both chronic pain and AUD. However, circuit-specific changes elicited by the combination of pain and alcohol use remain understudied. The goal of this work was to elucidate the converging effects of binge alcohol consumption and chronic pain on AIC neurons that send projections to the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). Here, we used the Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) paradigm to model binge-like alcohol drinking in mice that underwent spared nerve injury (SNI), after which whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings were performed in acute brain slices to measure intrinsic and synaptic properties of AIC→DLS neurons. In male, but not female, mice, we found that SNI mice with no prior alcohol exposure consumed less alcohol compared with sham mice. Electrophysiological analyses showed that AIC→DLS neurons from SNI-alcohol male mice displayed increased neuronal excitability and increased frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. However, mice exposed to alcohol prior to SNI consumed similar amounts of alcohol compared with sham mice following SNI. Together, our data suggest that the interaction of chronic pain and alcohol drinking have a direct effect on both intrinsic excitability and synaptic transmission onto AIC→DLS neurons in mice, which may be critical in understanding how chronic pain alters motivated behaviors associated with alcohol.

Perceptions of Values as a Mediating Variable between Moral Leadership and Organizational Commitment Among Jerusalem School Teachers

The study aims to reveal the reality of perceptions of values, moral leadership, and organizational commitment among teachers in Jerusalem schools, as well as examining the construction of a proposed model for this relation. To achieve this, the descriptive correlational approach was used, through a cross-sectional design, as one of the quantitative methods that uses correlation analysis and the structural model, to verify the relationships between variables, through a questionnaire that includes the three study measures, through a sample that included 366 male and female teachers, chosen by the stratified method. Random. The results of the study show that the reality of perceptions of values, ethical leadership, and organizational commitment, from the point of view of Jerusalem school teachers, was at a high degree. The results also show that there is a direct effect between ethical leadership on the one hand and both: (perceptions of values and organizational commitment), and also the presence of a direct effect between Perceptions of values and organizational commitment. The value of the indirect effect of ethical leadership on organizational commitment came in the presence of perceptions of values, which means that there is an effect of the mediating variable, perceptions of values, on the relationship between ethical leadership and organizational commitment.

Fostering sustainability performance in the Malaysian manufacturing companies: the role of green technology innovation and innovation capabilities

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the influence of green technology innovation on sustainability performance with the moderating effect of innovation capabilities in the Malaysian manufacturing listed companies.Design/methodology/approachThis was a quantitative study and carried out by applying a research survey. The questionnaire was used to collect the data from 204 Malaysian manufacturing companies of the “consumer products and services” sector listed at Bursa Malaysia, incorporating a five-point Likert scale. All the hypothesized relationships were tested by using the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe empirical results showed that the comprehensive adoption of green technology innovation significantly promotes sustainability performance including economic, environmental and social performance. In addition, innovation capabilities significantly and positively moderate the relationship between green technology innovation and sustainability performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe scope of this study is specifically confined to the Malaysian manufacturing listed companies, operating within the consumer products and services sector listed at Bursa Malaysia. Consequently, the findings of this study may not be generalized to manufacturing companies of the different geographical contexts.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study may help the top management and policymakers of the Malaysian manufacturing listed companies to scrutinize green technology innovation and innovation capabilities to achieve higher sustainability performance.Originality/valueThis study magnifies and provides new insights into the extant literature by developing a comprehensive research model that concurrently tests the direct and moderation effects between green technology innovation, innovation capabilities and sustainability performance. Additionally, this is the first study to examine the influence of green technology innovation on sustainability performance with the moderating effect of innovation capabilities in the Malaysian manufacturing listed companies. This distinct approach significantly bolsters the originality of this study.

Impact of Internet of Things Adoption on Organizational Performance: A Mediating Analysis of Supply Chain Integration, Performance, and Competitive Advantage

Companies, in emerging economies and beyond, struggle to develop integration mechanisms that deliver supply chain performance and competitive advantages. Those striving for organizational performance by streamlining supply chain processes must assess the challenges and benefits of employing technologies for supply chain integration. This study’s objective is to analyze the supply chain integration antecedents required to enable supply chain performance, competitive advantages, and organization performance. Although prior research indicates that the Internet of Things (IoT), as one of the enabling technologies, plays an instrumental role in enhancing organization performance through supply chain integration, no empirical tests have been performed before. Therefore, this study examines the direct and indirect effects of the IoT’s impact on organizational performance through different mediating variables—supply chain integration, supply chain performance, and competitive advantages. This study uses survey data from Saudi Arabian companies that adopted IoT-based applications in their supply chains. The results from partial least squares structural equation modeling indicate that the benefits and challenges of IoT adoption significantly affect supply chain integration. Moreover, supply chain integration partially mediates the relationship between IoT, supply chain performance, and competitive advantages while supply chain performance and competitive advantages mediate the relationship between supply chain integration and organization performance. This study offers theoretical implications regarding how dynamic capabilities are associated with supply chain integration and how they influence organizational performance; it also reveals valuable managerial insights.

New derivatives of quinazolinone as an object in the search for substances that exhibit a multi-target effect

Due to the rapid growth in the number of patients with diabetes in a complicated epidemiological picture, the question of the possibility of exposure of a substance to several targets becomes more important. It is noted that the most common infectious diseases in patients with diabetes mellitus are infections of the respiratory and urinary tract, skin and soft tissues, diabetic foot ulcers, otitis media and periodontal infections. Antimicrobial agents can have both direct and indirect hypoglycemic effects. Quinazolinones belonging to the group of heterocyclic derivatives exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activity. The use of the PASS program for the purpose of computer prediction of pharmacological activity showed a high probability of the hypoglycemic effect of new derivatives. The obtained results motivated the authors to search for the relationship between antimicrobial action and hypoglycemic effect within the general direction of studying the multi-targeting of drug ligands. Analysis of the literature data, as well as own studies of new quinazolinone derivative pharmacological activity make it possible to divide all ligands into functional groups that cause additional binding to the target molecule. The quinazolinone fragment, characterized by the uniqueness of its structure, can be reasonably attributed to multi-target ligands. The triazole cycle and the sulfonamide group can also purposefully bind to the target molecule. A carbamide residue, a fragment of sulfonylurea and an acetamide group, depending on the structure of the substance they are part of, can function both as a specific ligand and as a functional group involved in the stabilization of the intermediate transition state. The results obtained by the authors, as well as other researchers, allow us to formulate an assumption about the relationship between the mechanisms of antimicrobial and hyperglycemic activity.

The Genetic Architecture of the Root System during Seedling Emergence in Populus euphratica under Salt Stress and Control Environments

The growth of the Populus euphratica root system is of great significance for its survival under adverse environmental stress. In harsh saline-stress environments, the proportion, morphology, and functionality of the taproots and lateral roots and how they manifest specific adaptive structures, growth strategies, and potential genetic controls are still subjects for further exploration. In this study, we delve into the fundamental patterns and trade-offs of root morphology and functionality by constructing an environment-induced differential interaction equation (EDIE) to model the independent and interactive growth of the root system while considering the influence of environmental conditions. We identify 93 key QTLs in the control group and 44 key QTLs in the salt-stress group, of which 2 QTLs are significant in both environments. By constructing ODE-based QTL networks, we explore in depth how these loci regulate the growth of the root system under different environmental conditions while considering their independent direct effects and epistatic effects among loci. This study elucidates the intrinsic factors that influence the variations in taproots and lateral roots, providing crucial insights into the relationship between root morphology and functionality.

(Re)defining Motor Competence: Empirical Exploration Based on a Moderated Mediation Approach

ABSTRACT Purpose: The aim of the study was to empirically support a broader motor competence moderated mediation approach in which motor coordination is the predictor variable and motor competence self-perception is the outcome variable, anxiety and self-esteem are mediator variables, and gender is the moderator variable. Method: 327 year-4 Primary Education pupils participated. A conditional processes analysis was performed by macro PROCESS v.3.4. Results: For the moderation effects, interactions appeared between motor coordination and gender when taking self-esteem, anxiety and motor competence self-perception as outcome variables. Interactions were found between self-esteem and gender when anxiety and motor competence self-perception were taken as outcome variables. An interaction appeared between anxiety and gender when motor competence self-perception was considered an outcome variable. A significant direct effect was noted between the motor coordination variable and motor competence self-perception for both genders. The moderated mediation indices supported the indirect conditional effects of motor coordination when partially and jointly bearing in mind the moderator effect of gender on motor competence self-perception by means of self-esteem and anxiety. Conclusions: The results reveal the importance of understanding motor competence by more globally contemplating not only students’ motor learning, but also their cognitive and psycho-emotional reality.

Sorghum SbGhd7 is a major regulator of floral transition and directly represses genes crucial for flowering activation.

Molecular genetic understanding of flowering time regulation is crucial for sorghum development. GRAIN NUMBER, PLANT HEIGHT AND HEADING DATE 7 (SbGhd7) is one of the six classical loci conferring photoperiod sensitivity of sorghum flowering. However, its functions remain poorly studied. The molecular functions of SbGhd7 were characterized. The gene regulatory network controlled by SbGhd7 was constructed and validated. The biological roles of SbGhd7 and its major targets were studied. SbGhd7 overexpression (OE) completely prevented sorghum flowering. Additionally, we show that SbGhd7 is a major negative regulator of flowering, binding to the promoter motif TGAATG(A/T)(A/T/C) and repressing transcription of the major florigen FLOWERING LOCUS T 10 (SbFT10) and floral activators EARLY HEADING DATE (SbEhd1), FLAVIN-BINDING, KELCH REPEAT, F-BOX1 (SbFKF1) and EARLY FLOWERING 3 (SbELF3). Reinforcing the direct effect of SbGhd7, SbEhd1 OE activated the promoters of three functional florigens (SbFT1, SbFT8 and SbFT10), dramatically accelerating flowering. Our studies demonstrate that SbGhd7 is a major repressor of sorghum flowering by directly and indirectly targeting genes for flowering activation. The mechanism appears ancient. Our study extends the current model of floral transition regulation in sorghum and provides a framework for a comprehensive understanding of sorghum photoperiod response.

Noise propagation and amplification in microbial communities with different resistance mechanisms

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern in the field of microbiology. In a microbial community, the Susceptible Subpopulations (SSs) and the Non-genetically Resistant Subpopulations (NRSs) can switch between each other, and NRSs can mutate to Genetically Resistant Subpopulations (GRSs). In order to quantitatively describe the relationship between noise and signal amplification in the subpopulations, a mathematical model for three subpopulations is proposed in this paper. The gain fluctuation relation is obtained by linear noise approximation of the master equation. Then, through the simulation of these theoretical results, the following conclusions are found. First, the indirect effects of the interaction between subpopulations are much greater than the direct effects, which may be one of the reasons that the infection is difficult to cure. This is consistent with the findings of Zhou et al. and indicates the reliability of our new model. Second, the intrinsic net growth rate of SSs can be chosen as the adjustment parameter, which can effectively exploit or avoid the strong correlation between SSs and the two resistant subpopulations, including NRSs and GRSs. Third, unlike unidirectional cascades, additional intrinsic noise in GRSs can propagate to NRSs. Similarly, although there is no direct interaction between SSs and GRSs, additional intrinsic noise in GRSs can propagate to SSs, and vice versa. Finally, both total noise and adjusted noise exhibit similar amplification properties in this population. It is worth noting that the noise is consistently amplified from NRSs to GRSs. These findings may provide new insights into antimicrobial therapy.

Sleep Quality as a Critical Pathway Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Multimorbidity and the Impact of Lifestyle.

This study aims to establish the effects of ACEs on multimorbidity through sleep quality and investigate whether lifestyle factors (e.g., eating habits and exercise) may influence this relationship among middle-aged and older adults. Participants were drawn from a cross-sectional sample of community dwelling older adults (N = 276, 55+) and three waves of data from the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS, N = 843). We examined the direct and indirect effects of ACEs, sleep quality, and health conditions, as well as the conditional effects of physical activity and eating habits. Across both samples, sleep quality mediated the relationship between ACEs and chronic health conditions. Moderating effects of unhealthy eating and physical activity differed between samples. Sleep quality is an important pathway connecting ACEs and adult multimorbidity, and health behaviors may provide targets for intervention particularly in older adults.

Co-sleeping with pets, stress, and sleep in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults

This cross-sectional study tested the direct and stress-buffering effects of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep characteristics in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their sleep characteristics, including perceived sleep quality, perceived sleep efficiency, insomnia severity, and multidimensional sleep health. We evaluated whether co-sleeping with pets was associated with sleep characteristics and whether co-sleeping with pets moderated the association of stress and sleep characteristics. Exploratory analyses examined whether sleep characteristics were impacted by number of pets, pet type, and bondedness to pets. Our final sample of 1591 participants (Mage = 46.4 years, SD = 17.5; 56% female; 76% White) included 758 participants who reported co-sleeping with pets (47.6%). Co-sleeping with pets was associated with poorer sleep characteristics—specifically, poorer perceived sleep quality and greater insomnia severity. Although higher levels of stress were associated with poorer sleep, we did not observe evidence for a stress-buffering effect of co-sleeping with pets. Exploratory analyses indicated that the negative impact of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep was associated with dog ownership but not cat ownership, more pronounced when individuals own a greater number of pets, and not impacted by bondedness to pets. Our findings contribute to emerging evidence for the impact of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep. Study was pre-registered at: https://aspredicted.org/3VN_WF6.

Modeling and Optimization of the Culture Medium for Efficient 4′-N-Demethyl-Vicenistatin Production by Streptomyces parvus Using Response Surface Methodology and Artificial-Neural-Network-Genetic-Algorithm

4′-N-demethyl-vicenistatin is a vicenistatin analogue that has better antitumor activity with promising applications in the pharmaceuticals industry. The harnessing of the complete potential of this compound necessitates a systematic optimization of the culture medium to enable the cost-effective production of 4′-N-demethyl-vicenistatin by Streptomyces parvus SCSIO Mla-L010/ΔvicG. Therefore, in this study, a sequential approach was employed to screen the significant medium compositions, as follows: one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) and Plackett–Burman designs (PBD) were initially utilized. Cassava starch, glycerol, and seawater salt were identified as the pivotal components influencing 4′-N-demethyl-vicenistatin production. To further investigate the direct and interactive effects of these key components, a three-factor, five-level central composite design (CCD) was implemented. Finally, response surface methodology (RSM) and an artificial-neural-network-genetic-algorithm (ANN-GA) were employed for the modeling and optimization of the medium components to enhance efficient 4′-N-demethyl-vicenistatin production. The ANN-GA model showed superior reliability, achieving the most 4′-N-demethyl-vicenistatin, at 0.1921 g/L, which was 17% and 283% higher than the RSM-optimized and initial medium approaches, respectively. This study represents pioneering work on statistically guided optimization strategies for enhancing 4′-N-demethyl-vicenistatin production through medium optimization.

The hyphal-specific toxin candidalysin promotes fungal gut commensalism.

The fungus Candida albicans frequently colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract, from which it can disseminate to cause systemic disease. This polymorphic species can transition between growing as single-celled yeast and as multicellular hyphae to adapt to its environment. The current dogma of C. albicans commensalism is that the yeast form is optimal for gut colonization, whereas hyphal cells are detrimental to colonization but critical for virulence1-3. Here, we reveal that this paradigm does not apply to multi-kingdom communities in which a complex interplay between fungal morphology and bacteria dictates C. albicans fitness. Thus, whereas yeast-locked cells outcompete wild-type cells when gut bacteria are absent or depleted by antibiotics, hyphae-competent wild-type cells outcompete yeast-locked cells in hosts with replete bacterial populations. This increased fitness of wild-type cells involves the production of hyphal-specific factors including the toxin candidalysin4,5, which promotes the establishment of colonization. At later time points, adaptive immunity is engaged, and intestinal immunoglobulin A preferentially selects against hyphal cells1,6. Hyphal morphotypes are thus under both positive and negative selective pressures in the gut. Our study further shows that candidalysin has a direct inhibitory effect on bacterial species, including limiting their metabolic output. We therefore propose that C. albicans has evolved hyphal-specific factors, including candidalysin, to better compete with bacterial species in the intestinal niche.

The response of marine fish population productivity to juvenile habitat modifications depends upon life histories

AbstractCoastal and estuarine habitats are essential for both growth and survival at juvenile stages for a large proportion of marine fish but are exposed to a variety of threats. However, the quantitative impacts of anthropic‐mediated nursery degradation on exploited population dynamics and productivity are rarely addressed. We developed a comprehensive steepness‐based parameterization of the stock–recruitment relationship that directly depends upon juvenile habitat quality and surface area and used a generic age‐ and stage‐structured model to simulate exploited population dynamics under nursery degradation/restoration scenarios. Population responses to juvenile habitat modification were estimated for three species with contrasting life histories. Modifying the surface area of nursery habitat has a predictable direct scaling effect on population size and affects biomass and fishing yield, with identical responses observed for various life histories. Modification of habitat quality affects both the population size and the shape of the productivity curve, leading to more complex responses of biomass and fishing yields that depend upon combinations of life history traits. Populations with low steepness and hence lower resiliency to fishing are the most sensitive to the degradation of habitat quality. Our study emphasizes the critical impact of juvenile habitat modification on population dynamics and productivity and the need to integrate habitat consideration into the management of exploited marine species. Our modelling framework is generalizable and can be extended to handle many diverse life histories and case studies to quantify the consequences of coastal habitat degradation/restoration for the dynamics of exploited marine fish populations.