I would like to take the opportunity to thank the people who guided and supported me during this PhD study. Without their contributions, this research would not have been possible. First, I would like to thank my PhD advisor, Dr. Le Gruenwald. During my PhD study, Dr. Gruenwald taught me how to do research, and she was always patient and helpful whenever her guidance and assistance was needed. As an international student, I found technical writing was difficult. She contributed much of her valuable time to help me improve my writing skills. She also gave advice on how to communicate and cooperate with other researchers as a professional. Therefore, I do want to show my deep appreciation to her.