Acknowledgments Countless people contributed directly or indirectly to this thesis. First and foremost I thank God, creator and sustainer of life. To him be the glory. I would like to thank my advisors Carlos Morimoto and Margrit Betke for their guidance and enlightening conversations over the past years. Both have given me far more amazing opportunities than I expected to have when I started my academic life. Carlos continuously teaches me about the importance of asking the right question and

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... eeking for the true motivations to solve problems. Margrit helped me finding such motivation, with the drive to seek real impact in people's lives. I am very grateful for their teachings and patience.