Chengmei Gao, and daughters Ting (Lisa) and Yu (Lena), the author sincerely thanks them for providing the motivation and inspiration that made this endeavor all worthwhile. Finally, the author expresses his deepest appreciation and affection for the support, encouragement, and patience of his parents, Xinan Sun and Chengxu Du. The author owes special thanks to his father-in-law, Chewen Gao and mother-in-law, Gaulan Wang, who has unselfishly supported him and his family during this study. v