First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor Prof. Erik Cambria for his support, understanding, and encouragement during my Ph.D. study, which is one of the most important periods in my life. Besides being a supervisor, Erik is also a good friend and a great leader. I would also like to thank my co-supervisor Prof. Jagath C. Rajapakse for his support, especially, for his tolerance of my poor spoken English. Without the support from Erik and Jagath, it would not be possible for me to complete this dissertation. I am thankful to Prof. Jie Zhang, Prof. Shafiq Joty, and Prof. Kezhi Mao for their taking time to serve as my thesis advisory committee, and