The function of suffering as portrayed in the Scarlet Letter and reflected in clinical work.

Suffering is commonly seen as an unconscious effort to alleviate painful feelings of guilt. However, suffering also aims at averting loss of ego functions and hence loss of mental stability. This second function of suffering is discussed in the light of Freud's observations of characters wrecked by success and Weiss's ideas about mutual love as a threat to mental stability.

Quantifying cardio-pulmonary correlations using the cross-wavelet transform: validating a correlative method.

Dynamic changes in physiologic systems have become an increasingly important topic in biomedical signal processing. To demonstrate a novel approach to this type of analysis, we recorded the cardiac and respiratory rhythms of six normal subjects over 5 minutes. We used cross-wavelet transforms to identify any correlations between these signals and then a unique approach to surrogate data generation in the frequency domain to confirm the statistical significance of the correlations that were found.

Electrocardiography and the preparticipation physical examination: is it time for routine screening?

The preparticipation physical examination (PPE) is a screening tool endorsed by numerous organizations and used to evaluate young athletes prior to competition for both medical and musculoskeletal conditions that may predispose them to injury. The cardiac portion of the examination, as recommended by the American Heart Association, is detailed specifically to detect signs or symptoms consistent with certain congenital heart conditions that may increase a young athlete's risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Much controversy has erupted over the years as to whether this examination has the diagnostic sensitivity to detect these conditions and prevent SCD, and whether additional modalities, such as the 12-lead electrocardiograph (ECG), should be incorporated.