Reprinted from Astrophysics and Space Science vol. 205, no. 1 (1993), over 30 articles discuss aspects of some nearby galaxies. The topics include circumnuclear populations in nearby AGN, the starburst scenario for radio emission in active galaxies, radiation from arbitrarily shaped objects in the v

Spectral line formation theory is at the heart of astrophysical diagnostic. Our knowledge of abundances, in both stellar and interstellar contexts, comes almost enti- rely from line analysis, as does a major fraction of our ability to model stellar atmospheres. As new facets of the universe become observable so the techniques of high reso- lution spectroscopy are brought to bear, with great reward. Improved instruments, such as echelle spectrographs, employ- ing detectors of high quantum efficiency, have revolutioned our ability to observe high quality line profiles, although until now this...