Digital Commons Network^™

Diversity In Darkness: Shedding Light On Cryptic Species In The Cave Beetle Genus Darlingtonea Valentine Using 3rad Sequencing And Consequences Of Climate Change Based On Thermal Tolerance And Dehydration Resistance, Athanasios S. Apostolopoulos

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relationship between geographic distribution and phylogeny is pronounced in patchy, discontinuous habitats that limit gene flow, such as cave ecosystems. The isolating nature and selective pressures of cave environments can result in relatively high levels of endemism and cryptic speciation in cave faunas. Cryptic speciation exhibited in cave faunas is poorly studied, though it is an integral aspect to consider when discussing conservation efforts.

Our study employed the 3RAD genomic sequencing technique and robust population sampling across the distribution of a monotypic genus of cave beetle, Darlingtonea Valentine, that inhabits karst systems in a nearly 200 square mile range …

Sadie Jane, Esther French

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sadie Jane is a novella set in the town of Gypsum, a fictional location in rural Kentucky. The introduction covers the inspiration for the novella, which is based on Southern storytelling traditions and features the adventures of Sadie Jane, an independent octogenarian who returns to her hometown after many years. Sadie experiences the internal challenges of regrets and grief as well as the external challenges of busybodies and car thieves before finding her place in the community.

Effects Of Bacillus Mycoides Supplement In A Reduced Frequency Fungicide Program On Chambourcin Grapevines (Vitis Vinifera L.), Ryan Alan Mairs

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Fungal diseases pose significant challenges for grapevine producers in Kentucky due to the region’s abundant moisture and relative humidity. Methods to reduce fungicide application frequency would prove both economically and temporally valuable to producers. A field experiment was established in Bowling Green, KY in 2017 to investigate Bacillus mycoides isolate J (LifeGard) as a supplement to a fungicide program for systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Three fungicide treatment regimens were implemented consisting of a program modelled from the Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide (2017) and an identical program supplemented with 140 g ha-1 LifeGard per application (both applied on 14 day …

Teacher Attitudes Towards Gifted Education In Rural School Districts, Jennifer Smith Sheffield

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of teachers in rural locales towards giftedness and gifted education. Gagné and Nadeau’s (1991) Opinions About the Gifted and Their Education was used as the survey instrument. A total of 78 teachers from four public school districts in Kentucky classified as rural participated in the study. The respondents indicated slightly positive attitudes toward the need for specialized instruction for gifted students and the social value of giftedness but slightly negative mindsets towards acceleration. These results as a whole mirrored the findings of several previous studies utilizing the same survey instrument. …

Farm-To-Fork Fresh Produce Food Safety: An Evaluation Of Perceptions, Knowledge, And Implementation Of Good Agriculture Practices In Kentucky, Daniel J. Sinkel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Farmers’ markets have increasingly become a popular venue for purchase of fresh, locally-grown produce, with the number of farmers’ markets in Kentucky reaching an all-time high of 159 in 2016. Good Agriculture Practices (GAPs) is a program created by the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service to function as a food safety audit for small-scale fresh produce growers, such as those who sell fresh produce at local farmers’ markets. However, under the provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, small-scale farmers who sell an average of $25,000 in annual fresh produce sales across the span of three years are exempt …

Advancing Methods To Measure The Atmospheric Co2 Sink From Carbonate Rock Weathering, Devon Salley Mr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

With rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations, a detailed understanding of processes that impact atmospheric CO2 fluxes is required. While a sink of atmospheric carbon from the continents to the ocean from carbonate mineral weathering is, to some degree, offset by carbonate mineral precipitation in the oceans, efforts are underway to make direct measurements of these fluxes. Measurement of the continental sink has two parts: 1) measurement of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) flux leaving a river basin, and 2) partitioning the inorganic carbon flux between the amount removed from the atmosphere and the portion from the bedrock. This study attempted to …

College Basketball In Kentucky, Religion, And Distinguishing Between The Two: Concerns And Cautions For The Conversation On The Religiosity Of Sports, Matthew A. Sheffield

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Academic analysis of sport and religion is still in an early and formative phase. Only in the past fifty years has the conversation of sport and religion substantially been revealed as subject matter for serious academic work. This thesis includes literature from various scholars interested in religion and sport, contemplation on the religious nature of college basketball in the state of Kentucky, and challenges for leading scholars arguing over the notion of sport as a form of religion. The first half of the thesis presents the narrative of the increasingly growing academic debate over considering sport a religious phenomenon. The …

The Ancient Art Of Smile-Making, Elizabeth Ann Garrett

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

If I am anything, I am a Kentuckian, which means I appreciate a good storyteller. In my writing, I hope to bring back some dignity to the “lost cause” of the good values from a broken culture. While I am not quite “southern” enough to qualify as a writer of Southern Gothic fiction, I can relate to this brand of identity crisis in which someone wants to maintain an archaic mindset in a culture charging towards “progress.” As technology and corporate success take precedence over a genteel and pastoral soul, our collective competitiveness has crippled a quaint future of back …

Modeling Daily Power Demand In Southern Kentucky: A Single Household Approach, Craig M. Dickson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this study, we use a nonparametric technique, locally weighted robust least squares regression (LOESS), to forecast a 24 hour demand profile at the household level and compare it to existing aggregate demand models discussed in literature. Of these aggregate demand models, a quadratic autoregressive model was selected to be used as a basis for comparison with the LOESS forecasts. It was our goal to automate the forecasting process by using the goodness of fit metric, AICCI, for smoothing parameter selection. The statistical workflow was executed using SAS and data was provided by the Glasgow Electric Plant Board of Barren …

Hydrolgeologic Groundwater Sensitivity And Vulnerability Mapping In South Central Kentucky, Andrea Croskrey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Groundwater sensitivity (Ray and O'dell 1993 a) refers to the inherent ease with which groundwater can be contaminated based on hydrogeologic characteristics. We have developed digital methods for identifying areas of varying groundwater sensitivity for a ten county area of south-central Kentucky relevant to a scale of 1: 24,000. The study area includes extensive limestone karst sinkhole plains, with groundwater that is generally extremely sensitive to contamination. Digitally Vectorized Geologic Quadrangles (DVGQs) were combined with elevation data to both identify hydrogeologic groundwater sensitivity regions and to identify zones of "high risk runoff where contaminants could be transported in runoff from …

The Greens Of Falls Of Rough: A Kentucky Family Biography 1795-1965, Hugh Ridenour

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of writing about the Greens of Falls of Rough is to record the extraordinary lives of three generations of a prominent, but somewhat neglected, Kentucky family that contributed greatly to the history of the Commonwealth. This family’s activities parallel that history in social, economic and political aspects from the state’s inception to the 1960s.

In addition, this thesis should alleviate a pervasive misunderstanding regarding the identity of Willis Green, founder of the Greens of Falls of Rough. Mr. Green, a prominent Kentuckian in his own right, has been confused with another Kentuckian, a Willis Green of Danville. The …

An Evaluation Of The 1990-1991 Hart County Preschool Program, Rhonda Bowman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the 1990-91 school year. Kentucky's public schools received a mandate to begin a preschool program to aid children who were at risk of school failure. Children to be served were three-and four-year-olds qualifying for free lunch or having handicaps.

This study is an evaluation of the preschool program in Hart County Kentucky. Two concerns were identified. These concerns were: (1) identifying teacher and parental perceptions of the program and (2) measuring student academic gains. The results of the evaluation indicate that teachers and parents have a positive attitude about the preschool program. Students participating in the program showed greater …

A Modified Scheme For The Isolation And Enumeration Of Bacteria In Municipal Sewage Sludge, Kelly Ball

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Because of the potential health hazards associated with the use of sludge for agricultural purposes, Dudley et al (1980) published a scheme for the routine analysis of bacteria in municipal sewage sludge. In this study, the Dudley et al scheme (1980) was modified by updating some of the procedures. Aerobically digested sludge generated by the Bowling Green Wastewater Treatment Plant, Bowling Green, Kentucky, was analyzed using the modified scheme. Sludge samples were collected once every two months over a one-year period from October 1989 to August 1990.

Egg yolk-free tryptose sulfite cycloserine agar in conjunction with the revewrse CAMP test …

East Urban Area Corridor Analysis Daviess County, Kentucky, Laura Pace

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The need for improved highway facilities in the east urban area of Daviess County, Kentucky, is analyzed in this study. The study focuses upon the need for alternative highway routes, due to the increased travel demands generated by a new Ohio River Bridge in eastern Daviess County. Also, the east urban area is forecasted to experience population and employment growth in the next decade, further necessitating the need for improving existing highways or constructing new corridors in the area.

Various alternative alignments for an expressway are examined. The feasibility of upgrading existing highways in the east urban area is also …

Barren River District Health Department Health Education/Risk Reduction Demonstration Projects, Rebecca Bruce

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In July 1980, the Barren River District Health Department (BRDHD), serving eight counties (combined population approximately 204,000) in Southcentral Kentucky, was selected as a demonstration site under the auspices of the federal Health Education Risk Reduction (HERR) Program. With continued HERR funding for eight years, the BRDHD developed several successful health promotion projects. Major components of these projects include: 1) community health promotion, which serves to identify high -risk groups in the community and provide them with health education-health promotion services, 2) school health education which included the development of a preschool health education curriculum, 3) teacher education workshop, which …

Confederate Operations In Eastern Kentucky, 1861-1862, C. David Dalton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As a border state, Kentucky occupied a unique position in the early days of the Civil War. Her neutral stance was observed by the belligerents for the first five months of the conflict, but in September 1861, troops entered the state. Confederate armies under the leadership of Brigadier Generals Humphrey Marshall and Feliz Zollicoffer sought to drive the Federal forces from eastern Kentucky. Through a series of skirmishes, however, the Southern armies were repelled and placed on the defensive. Later defeats at Logan’s Cross Roads and Middle Creek in early January 1862 cleared eastern Kentucky of Confederate forces. For the …

Caroline Gordon: A Sense Of Place, Frances Perdue

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Place, as it transcends the immediate setting of a work, is an essential element of Caroline Gordon’s early novels. She looks to the past and to the region of her birth to focus on the traditional South. She shows her characters’ changing attitudes toward the Cavalier Myth, a view that promotes the value of the land, the patriarchal family, and an anachronistic code of honor. To them, the South is unique, and they resist all efforts to change this “given social order.” However, Gordon begins to recognize that change is inevitable. Thus, she reveals her characters’ succumbing to the rising …

A Case Study: Neighborhood Ii Conservation Plan, Alice Brooks-Giles

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study was initiated to demonstrate how declining neighborhoods can be revitalized through the cooperation and Partnership of local residents, financial institutions, and local government. The Neighborhood II Conservation Plan assumes that interested and informed residents can plan their own environment just as they plan their own family affairs and budget their incomes. The plan further assumes that residents working together as a team can revitalize their neighborhood at the point of decline. This study pursues various approaches to neighborhood preservation which may be useful to other cities.

A Case Study Of The Recreational Needs & Interests Of Rural Adults In Russell County, Kentucky, Bennett Bratcher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Russell County, Kentucky, is a small rural county, with a population of 11,900, located 85 miles east of Bowling Green, Kentucky, There were approximately 2800 adults between the ages of 25 and 45 living in the county during the summer of 1980. The problem of this study was twofold: (1) to assess the recreational needs and interests of 25 to 45 year old adults in Russell County, Kentucky, during the summer of 1980, and (2) to make recommendations based upon the findings of the study. A survey instrument was developed, with the aid of a jury of experts, t.) serve …

A Kentucky Dressmaker, Mrs. A.H. (Carrie) Taylor: An Examination Of Her Role In Fashion At The Turn Of The Century, Janice Centers

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

One dressmaker, Mrs. A. H. Taylor of Bowling Green, Kentucky, was studied in order to draw attention to the role of the dressmaker in American fashion. A biography of Mrs. A. H. Taylor and the business history were compiled; available designs were analyzed in relation to current fashion; and an investigation of the business organization was made. It was found that the dressmaking establishment played an important role in the lives of women of that time period. Fashionable custom fit clothing was made available to local residents and to mail-order customers. The establishment was one of the few businesses which …

Kirby Smith In Kentucky The Invasion Of 1862, Gary Donaldson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

On September 95, 1861, Lieutenant General Edmund Kirby Smith reported to his new command at the Department of East Tennessee. It was a troubled command; Kirby Smith's insufficient army was pressed from the north by Brigadier General George Buell. of the Morgan, and from the west by Major General Don Carlos To save his command from certain defeat at the hands superior Union armies, Kirby Smith was able to convince General Braxton Bragg to move his army by rail to East Tennessee.

Through a series of political maneuvers, Kirby Smith obtained a portion of Bragg's army and entered Kentucky on …

Recreational Master Plan For The City Of Radcliff, Kentucky, Joseph Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The City of Radcliff is presently without a Recreational Department and without local recreational planning. Therefore, it was desirable to establish a plan for the development of recreation in the city – a Recreational Master Plan. The master plan is divided into four areas: Organization and Administration of Recreation; Financing of Recreation; Facilities of Recreation; and Programming of Recreation. The standards set by the National Recreation and Park Association, NRPA, was the basis for evaluation of these areas.

It was found that Radcliff’s organizational chart needed to be reconstructed to include a recreation director, recreation department, and preferably an advisory …

Luke Pryor Blackburn: The Good Samaritan, Nancy Baird

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Luke Pryor Blackburn, Kentucky’s only physician governor, is one of the forgotten public health figures of the 19^th century. As health officer of Natchez in the 1850s he instituted the first effective quarantine used in the Mississippi Valley and became a strong advocate of its use as a preventive measure in the control of yellow fever. During his lifetime Blackburn also became well known for his unselfish aid to communities stricken with the disease.

In March 1878 announced his candidacy for governor of his native state. Local politicians scoffed at his chances for election, but his actions during the …

The Beeson Farmstead: A Study Of The Functional Aspects Of A Black Farm In The Richland Community, Annelen Archbold

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study documents the lifestyle on a small, prosperous black farmstead in the Richland community of Butler County, Kentucky. It is based on extensive fieldwork and interviews conducted with Percy Beeson, owner of the farm for aver fifty years. The result of the fieldwork and interviews was the documentation of how this farmstead, maintained without mechanical farm equipment, worked as a functional unit on a year-round basis.

As a functional unit, the Beeson farmstead is described in terms of the Beeson family and their ownership of the farm and the breakdown of the property into two dependent units. In the …

The Feasibility Of Annexation: A Cost-Revenue Approach For Bowling Green, Kentucky, Jeanne M. Dibble

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The United States is becoming a country of urban dwellers. Much of this urbanization is occurring outside of the legal city in what is called the urban fringe. Among the solutions advanced to deal with the problems of urban sprawl is the annexation of such areas by the central city. Before annexation can become a reality, its feasibility from a cost-revenue approach must be assessed. This was accomplished by dividing the urban fringe of Bowling Green, Kentucky, into nine study areas and investigating the costs incurred by the city for the provision of services associated with annexation as compared to …

Geographical Analysis Of The State-Administered Roads In Kentucky, 1920 To 1970, Sudesh Singla

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There are several problems in the study of the growth and analysis of roads and highways. The first purpose of the study is to determine the stages of expansion in the State Highway System of Kentucky with respect to the density and the types of roads in Kentucky. A comparison has been made with other states of the nation with regards to percentage of roads paved and the total road mileage during the same stages.

The second purpose of the study is to determine the structure of growth, locational pattern of roads and major nodal points. The third purpose of …

The Constitutional Union Party In Kentucky, John Lawrence Kelly

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During the period immediately preceding the Civil War, there arose a new political party, the Constitutional Union party. While nearly every other phase of the era around the Civil War has been covered exhaustively, comparatively, very little has been written about the Union movement and its attempt to prevent the war. What has been written about the Union party deals primarily with the movement at the national level. It is the goal of this author to present a history of the Union movement in Kentucky and the part played in the national party by Kentuckians.

A Historical Description Of The Areal Distribution Of The Churches Of Warren County, Kentucky, Neilam Adams

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Religion is a part of man and his culture. We cannot understand the totality of man if we do not understand his religion. The church structure is the visible expression of man's religion.

The purpose of this study is to describe the distribution of churches in Warren County, Kentucky, and to examine the factors that contribute to this areal pattern. In an attempt to further clarify this human-religious expression the following points will be considered: (1) the reasons for denominational change through time; (2) the association of church location and population with corresponding rural -urban shifts; and (3) the style …

A History Of Baptists In Clinton County, Timothy Cantrell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to present some of the history of the Baptist Church in Clinton County, Kentucky. A detailed study of the early church in the county also presents a picture of the county's social history as well because of the very close association between the individual and his church.

The scope of this study does not lend itself to presentation of the individual histories of all the Baptist churches in the county. It is, rather, the purpose of the author to cover the history of Baptists in the county by tracing the history of their two …

The Economic Development Of The South Union Shaker Colony 1807-1861, John M. Keith Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly called Shakers, are a most unique communistic group in American history. Their society had an economic as well as a religious base. Because of this entwining relationship, the Shakers outlived all other communistic societies in the United States.

From the beginning the Shakers placed great emphasis on the economic aspects of their communal society and this emphasis played a paramount role in many of their major decisions. In effect their theory was “Mine is thine and thine is mine.” Taking their beliefs from this statement, together with the preaching of …