Although much is known about the nature of winds from hot stars and giants and supergiants with spectral types earlier than K, there is still much to be learned regarding the mass-loss process in cool, late-type stars. We will review the current state of research, with particular reference to observations and modelling of mass-loss from giant stars in symbiotic systems.

The Pharos/Summer 2011 Philip A. Mackowiak (AΩA, University of Maryland, 1970) is professor of Medicine and vice chairman at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the Medical Care Clinical Center for the VA Maryland Health Care System in Baltimore. Paul G. Auwaerter is associate professor of Medicine and clinical director in the Division of Infectious diseases at the Joh...

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Cool stars, such as M giants, can only be analysed in the near-infrared (NIR) regime due to ubiquitous TiO features optical spectra of stars with Teff < 4000 K. In dust obscured regions, like inner bulge and Galactic Center, intrinsically bright giants observed NIR is an optimal option determine their stellar abundances. Due uncertainties photometric methods, a method parameters for from themse...