Add to ORKGI would like to express my deep gratitude and sincere thanks to my thesis advisor, Dr. Donald L. Gustafson, for all his guidance, help and encouragement throughout my thesis. I also would like to thank the other thesis committee members, Dr. Sunanda Mitra and Dr. Lance Drager for serving on my thesis committee. I also would like to express my thanks to Dr. Donald C. Wunsch II and Dr. William J. B. Oldham for providing me with helpful information. Special thanks is also extended to my roommates, Tomokazu Kina and Y oshitomo Sato, for their encouragement and for the good times we have shared