In grand design spiral galaxies, spiral arms play a dominant role in the oxygen enrichment rate, since type II supernovae are the main source of oxygen, and these supernovae only appear in spiral arms. The connection between the spiral structure and the star formation rate explains oxygen abundance gradients that rise outward, in the external regions of a number of galaxies.

HE0141-3932 ($z_{\rm em} = 1.80$) is a bright blue radio-quiet quasar which reveals an emission line spectrum with an unusually weak Lyα line. In addition, large redshift differences ($\Delta z = 0.05$) are observed between high ionization and low ionization emission lines. Absorption systems identified at $z_{\rm abs} = 1.78, 1.71$, and 1.68 show mild oversolar metallicities ($Z \approx 1-2Z_\odot$) and can be attributed to the associated gas clouds ejected from the circumnuclear region. The joint analysis of the emission and absorption lines leads to the conclusion that this quasar is seen almost pole-on. Its apparent luminosity may be Doppler boosted by ∼10 times. The absorbing gas shows high abundance of Fe, Mg, and Al ([Fe, Mg, Al/C] $\simeq 0.15\pm0.10$) along with underabundance of N ([N/C] $\leq -0.5$). This abundance pattern is at variance with current chemical evolution models of QSOs predicting [N/C] < 0 and [Fe/C] <0 at $Z \sim Z_\odot$. Full details of this work are given in Reimers et al. (2005).

Attempts are made to summarize some main points and results discussed at the IAU Symposium No. 228 in Paris, May 2005. It is concluded that, although the situation in areas pioneered by F. and M. Spite is nowdays rather complex, some important progress has recently been made, and more is expected to occur within the next few years if the level of ambition in the astronomical community is kept at the high level set by the pioneers.