ABSTRACT We present a detailed study on the spatially resolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission properties in (circum)nuclear region (NR) and extranuclear regions (ENRs) of M51a using Spitzer-IRS (infrared spectrograph) observations. Correlations among PAH intensity ratios are examined with respect to each other, local physical parameters, galactocentric distance (Rg), very small ...

We have undertaken several projects with the purpose of determining accurate distances to nearby galaxies to calibrate the extragalactic distance scale. Specifically, I describe the DIRECT project which aims to derive the distance to M31 and M33 directly, using detached eclipsing binaries and the Baade-Wesselink method for Cepheids. I also present a " hybrid " method of discovering Cepheids wit...

An outbreak of skin sepsis due to beta-haemolytic streptococcus group A M33, T3/13/B3264 occurred in a closed community. Staphylococcus aureus was also present in many of the lesions, but different strains were recognizable by phage typing. Environmental contamination was found. The outbreak was controlled by isolating infected boys and decontaminating the environment. Various aspects of the ep...