This work is organized into three chapters, which represent distinct projects that collectively define my doctoral dissertation. Each of the chapters is divided into two or more sections. The first section of each chapter is a manuscript that synthesizes the impetus, methods, results and salient conclusions from the work relevant to that chapter. Subsequent sections within each chapter are comprised of supporting data and results, often annotated with notes to establish context, clarify methodology or focus attention on specific points of interest. At the time of writing, chapters 1 and 2 have been submitted for publication in professional journals, as indicated below...