Mountain Scholar

Mountain Scholar is an open access repository service that collects, preserves, and provides access to digitized library collections and other scholarly and creative works from Colorado State University and the University Press of Colorado. It also serves as a dark archive for the Open Textbook Library.

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Colorado State University, Fort Collins 26565
Explore the Colorado State University community’s scholarly output as well as items from the University at large and the CSU Libraries.
Open Textbook Library Archive 25
A limited number of titles are available here. To see all OTL titles, please visit the Open Textbook Library at https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks. Only Open Textbook Library staff have access to all OTL Archive titles held in Mountain Scholar.
University Press of Colorado 1067
Access is limited to University Press of Colorado members. Non-members: to purchase books, please visit https://upcolorado.com/.

Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
LEADING THROUGH TRANSITION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
(2025) Rencher, Jessica, author; Jennings, Louise, advisor; Barnes (Fothergill), Wendy, committee member; Duffy, Andrea, committee member; Frederiksen, Heidi, committee member
This qualitative study explores how higher education leaders at one land-grand university navigated the unprecedented disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by Bridges’ Transition Model (2017) and supported the Kübler-Ross Model (1969), Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943), and Trait and Behavior Theories (Judge et al., 2002; DeRue et al., 2011), the research examines leaders’ psychological adaptation and leadership practices during crisis. Drawing on ten interviewee participants across three time points (Spring 2020, Spring 2021, and Fall 2025), the study investigates how leaders responded to team members on individual and collective levels, how their traits, behaviors, and approaches shifted or remained consistent, and what tools or strategies emerged as most supportive during organizational transitions. Findings highlight the critical role of adaptability, empathy, and communication in sustaining team effectiveness and resilience. This research contributes to the limited comparative literature on higher education leadership before, during, and after crises, offering theoretical and practical insights into leadership strategies that foster organizational stability and growth in times of disruption.
Access status: Open Access ,
AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO COMBAT THE WHEAT STEM SAWFLY, Cephus cinctus (HYMENOPTERA: CEPHIDAE)
(2025) Vieira, Henrique Victor, author; Nachappa, Punya, advisor; Bradshaw, Jeff, committee member; Mason, Esten, committee member; Rand, Tatyana, committee member
The wheat stem sawfly (WSS) is a native grass-feeding insect and a major threat to wheat production across the Great Plains of North America. For over a century, WSS has caused significant damage to growers – not just by feeding within the stem and reducing yield, but particularly by causing wheat lodging. Economic losses are estimated at $350 million annually, with over $40 million in Colorado alone. Managing WSS has proven challenging and requires integrated tactics from multiple fronts. The goal of my PhD was to address WSS management through a combination of complementary, interdisciplinary approaches.To sustainably manage a pest that threatens food security, entomologists must first understand its biology, life cycle, and management history. In Chapter 1, I conducted a comprehensive review of WSS, detailing its biological traits and tracing the evolution of control strategies. Although WSS has long been a key pest, no predictive phenology model existed to guide management decisions. Phenology models are essential in pest management, helping forecast insect emergence and inform control timing. Therefore, in Chapter 2, I developed the first degree-day model (DDM) for WSS using 13 years of field data from Colorado. Wheat fields in northeastern Colorado were sampled annually from 2011 to 2023. Using local temperature data, we estimated the heat units (growing degree days) required for key life events. A generalized additive model (GAM) predicted adult emergence at 148 GDD, peak flight at 224 GDD, and flight end at 354 GDD, using a base temperature of 10°C and upper threshold of 30°C. We also identified weather variables associated with population shifts. These findings provide a powerful tool to improve WSS monitoring and management. I also explored resistance in wheat cultivars. While semi-solid stems have been the focus of past breeding efforts, growers reported potential resistance in a hollow-stem, herbicide-resistant cultivar – Clearfield Plus (CL Plus). I evaluated three cultivars: one resistant, one susceptible, and CL Plus. Across lab and field trials over three years, I measured oviposition, infestation, and cutting rates. Results showed that CL Plus cultivars exhibited resistance traits. To investigate further, I analyzed volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles using thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). One CL Plus cultivar had a VOC profile similar to the resistant line, suggesting possible chemical cues underlying resistance. This work opens avenues to explore the role of plant volatiles in WSS oviposition behavior and plant defense. Chapter 3 addressed the effect of crop rotation. As rotations have become more diverse in northeastern Colorado, I assessed whether they influenced WSS infestation and larval survival. Post-harvest wheat stems were collected over two years from fields with different rotation histories, ranging from wheat–fallow to wheat–corn–millet–fallow. Surprisingly, crop rotation alone did not appear to reduce WSS pressure. However, fields with resistant cultivars showed lower infestation, reinforcing the role of host plant resistance as the most effective strategy—regardless of crop sequence. Chapter 4 focused on biological control, specifically the role of braconid parasitoids. These wasps have historically played a key role in WSS suppression in the northern Great Plains, but their impact in Colorado has been minimal. I conducted cage experiments comparing parasitism rates among Bracon spp. populations from Colorado, Nebraska, and North Dakota. All populations showed similar parasitism potential, suggesting no mismatch between Colorado Bracon spp. and local WSS. To explore the low parasitism levels further, I performed a population genetics study. I extracted DNA from both WSS and their parasitoids to assess whether population structure or host-associated differentiation (HAD) could explain the pattern. Analyses of genetic diversity, phylogenetic trees, and haplotype networks revealed that one key parasitoid, Bracon cephi, may be undergoing population subdivision, possibly due to the rapid expansion of its host. In contrast, WSS populations in Colorado continue to expand, showing high haplotype diversity. I also investigated Bracon lissogaster populations from both wild grasses and wheat. Although higher genetic diversity was observed in wild grasses, there was no strong evidence of HAD. However, sample size needs to be increased substantially for a solid HAD analysis. These chapters reflect a multi-faceted effort to understand and manage WSS through phenology modeling, cultivar resistance, crop rotation, and biological control. This work lays the groundwork for more precise, integrated, and regionally tailored pest management strategies.
Access status: Embargo ,
Engineering zwitterionic and boronic acid-based nanomaterials to overcome mucosal barriers
(2025) Cureno Hernandez, Karla Estefania, author; Herrera Alonso, Margarita, advisor; Hill, Megan, committee member; Kipper, Matt, committee member; Chen, Eugene, committee member
Mucus is a hydrated, viscoelastic, and biochemically complex barrier that protects epithelial surfaces throughout the optic, respiratory, digestive, and reproductive tracts. While essential for host defense, this barrier severely limits the transport of drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs), which are often immobilized by interactions with mucin components and rapidly cleared from mucosal surfaces. To address this challenge, drug delivery systems must be carefully engineered to either minimize adhesive interactions with mucus or strategically leverage them to improve retention and localization.This thesis explores the use of zwitterionic and boronic acid chemistries as two complementary strategies for modulating nanoparticle–mucin interactions. Zwitterionic polymers are known for their strong hydration and charge neutrality, which impart antifouling properties and promotes diffusion through mucus. In contrast, boronic acids form dynamic covalent bonds with cis-diols found in sialylated glycans of mucins, facilitating selective mucoadhesion. We hypothesized that combining these opposing chemical motifs could yield materials capable of navigating the mucus barrier more effectively by balancing penetration and retention. To investigate this hypothesis, a series of model systems were developed, increasing in structural complexity from planar surfaces to colloidal and self-assembled nanoparticles. Each platform enabled the study of material–mucus interactions under distinct, physiologically-relevant conditions. Silicon wafers were first modified with poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC) brushes and terminal 3-(pent-4-ynamido)phenylboronic acid (APBA) groups to study surface-level mucin interactions under static, well-defined conditions. These planar systems allowed decoupling of bulk diffusion from interfacial effects. Characterization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurements confirmed successful functionalization, while mucin-binding assays revealed that APBA–mucin interactions are pH-dependent and glycan-specific. Next, colloidal silica nanoparticles were functionalized with the same moieties to assess dynamic mucin interactions in suspension. PMPC coatings conferred colloidal stability and reduced mucin association, while APBA-functionalized particles exhibited a reduced mobility at acidic pH, consistent with enhanced mucoadhesion under those conditions. These results highlight the critical influence of surface chemistry and environmental context on nanoparticle–mucin interactions. Finally, amphiphilic block copolymers composed of hydrophobic poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA) cores and the zwitterionic coronas of poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC) or poly(carboxybetaine) (PMCB) were self-assembled into nanoparticles with tunable APBA surface densities. A physiologically-relevant model of sheep small intestinal mucus was developed to evaluate transport behavior. Permeation studies revealed that intermediate APBA densities provided the most favorable balance between mucus penetration and selective binding. Further experiments showed that mucus composition, free sialic acid, and calcium ions could modulate nanoparticle transport and post-exposure stability. Altogether, this work provides a systematic, multiscale investigation of how zwitterionic and boronic acid functionalities can be integrated to modulate interactions with mucus. The findings offer design principles for creating drug delivery systems optimized for transport across mucosal barriers, contributing to the development of more effective nanoparticle-based therapeutics.
Access status: Embargo ,
FROM MECHANISM TO APPLICATION: A LOOK AT THE CuBTTri-CATALYZED DECOMPOSITION OF S-NITROSOGLUTATHIONE
(2025) Mohnike, Margaret, author; Reynolds, Melissa M., advisor; Prieto, Amy, committee member; Chen, Eugene, committee member; Clapp, Tod, committee member
The lifetime of blood-contacting medical devices is negatively impacted by biofouling, which can lead to worse outcomes for the patient, from diminished device functioning to the risk of life-threatening medical events such as embolism. One approach to mitigating these complications is the design and construction of surface materials that help minimize the cellular events that lead to biofouling, such as thrombus formation. Although there are multiple avenues to this end that researchers are currently examining, an encouraging method is the local administration of nitric oxide (NO) at the surface of the medical device. Nitric oxide is an inorganic radical gas that is central to multiple signaling systems within the body, as well as having direct impact on platelet aggregation and bacterial control. Since it is ubiquitous in the body, there are readily available endogenous sources of NO within the blood, one such examples being S-nitrosothiols (RSNO), which are known to release the NO from RSNOs. By embedding a copper azolate metal organic framework (MOF) into the surface of medical devices, a reactive copper center can be tethered directly to the relevant location and allow for the release of NO from molecules already present in the body. Further investigation must be taken to more fully understand the system of interest, both from a structural perspective and a reactivity one, to better optimize and tune NO output for optimal release rate. In addition, to facilitate broader studies, more efficient syntheses for the water-stable MOF CuBTTri (Cu(II) benzene-1,3,5-tris(1H-1,2,3-triazoy-5-yl)) are required. Finally, having already established the ability of CuBTTri to release NO from GSNO while embedded into a polymer, the next step is to test the compatibility of this coating with a device that could be blood-contacting.In Chapter 2, a series of mechanistic studies were performed to better understand how CuBTTri releases NO from RSNOs, In Chapter 3, the organic linkers that form the MOF were deuterated to permit more in-depth structural characterization in hopes of elucidating surface features on the MOF. In Chapter 4, the synthesis of CuBTTri was optimized to be more efficient than the originally reported solvothermal method. These optimization methods also led to a much improved ability to control MOF particle size. In Chapter 5, the feasibility of incorporating MOFs into existing blood-contacting devices was tested by incorporating a MOF-polymer composite onto the surface of a glucose sensor and evaluating its impact.
Access status: Open Access ,
EXPLORING DIFFERENTIAL BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF REGULAR ALCOHOL AND CANNABIS USE IN HUMANS
(2025) Drennan, Meggan Leann, author; Thomas, Michael, advisor; Karoly, Hollis C., advisor; Weir, Tiffany, committee member; Conner, Bradley T., committee member
Cannabis is the most commonly used substance among individuals who consume alcohol, but there is conflicting evidence regarding the effects of cannabis on alcohol use and specific health outcomes. Furthermore, physiological responses to long-term and regular use of these substances differ substantially. Research has established deleterious health effects of heavy and persistent alcohol use, including imbalance of the gut microbiome (termed dysbiosis) and systemic inflammation. Conversely, research shows cannabis to have consistent anti-inflammatory properties and support mucosal defense and repair of the intestinal wall. However, very little research investigates the effects of alcohol and cannabis co-use on these biological symptoms. Even further, the microbiota-gut-brain axis details the bidirectional relationship between the gut and psychological function. Current literature demonstrates an inarguable influence of gut health and systemic inflammation on psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Even further, certain personality traits have been linked to behavioral tendencies such as substance use.The present study aims to investigate physiological and psychological differences across individuals with different patterns of alcohol and cannabis use (individuals who exclusively and regularly use cannabis-only, alcohol-only, individuals who regularly use both alcohol and cannabis, and individuals who abstain from both substances). The study encompassed 4 multi-disciplinary aims spanning health outcomes impacted by substance use. The aims were to: (1) explore trait depression, anxiety and impulsivity as well as personality traits among the four groups, (2) examine differences in baseline circulating levels of endocannabinoids related to substance use patterns, (3) investigate group differences in gut microbiome composition and intestinal permeability, and (4) explore group differences in circulating inflammatory markers. These aims were tested through collection of fecal and blood samples, as well as administration of several psychological assessments and substance use questionnaires to individuals between the ages of 21-58 who were screened into groups according to their reported use of alcohol and cannabis. An observational cross-sectional design was used to collect data from the alcohol-only, cannabis-only and abstinence groups, while the alcohol and cannabis co-use data was supplied by a sister experimental study following identical eligibility criteria and near-identical data collection methods (barring some design constraints within the co-use group). The control group was expected to exhibit the healthiest profiles in all measures, followed by the exclusive cannabis use group. The exclusive alcohol use group was expected to exhibit the poorest health outcomes, with the co-use group falling between the exclusive alcohol and cannabis use groups. Eligible participants completed a virtual consent and instructional session followed by 14 days of online daily diaries detailing substance use, exercise and mood, and then completed their participation with a laboratory session involving biological sample collection and several electronic surveys. Statistical evaluation of group differences included analyses of covariance as well as non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis tests to investigate aims 1, 2 and 4. Aim 3 analyzed data from an advanced biostatistics pipeline for microbiome analysis, comparing alpha and beta diversity metrics as well as relative abundance and total read counts of identified taxa. Results revealed some persistent themes suggesting that cannabis use in the absence of alcohol predominantly exhibits protective or regulatory effects on immune and microbiome homeostasis, while alcohol consumption supports a more inflammatory and dysbiotic profile. While these data cannot speak to causality of observed relationships, the overall results support the notion that alcohol and cannabis use display differential influences on the gut microbiome and immune signaling in ways that may converge with mental health symptoms and personality traits. The current F31-supported study establishes a preliminary groundwork for more extensive and rigorous research on integrative psycho-physiological processes and how they are impacted by differing patterns of alcohol and cannabis use.