Category Archives: Tms

FREMONT, Calif. (PRWEB) October 17, 2022

Avalanche Technology, the leader in next generation MRAM technology, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with TMS-Elektronik, to represent Avalanche in the sales and support of its STT-MRAM-based discrete Persistent SRAM (P-SRAM) non-volatile memory products in the Republic of Turkey. In support of this new relationship, Avalanche Technology will join the TMS-Elektronik team at the upcoming SAHA Expo 2022 in Istanbul, October 25th-28th.

With benchmark high reliability, high endurance and low power, combined with high access speed, Avalanches STT-MRAM products will bring significant benefits to our customers who develop boards and systems for aerospace and industrial applications, said Eren aaan, Co-founder and CEO of TMS Elektronik. Avalanches portfolio of STT-MRAM-based discrete memory devices complements and completes our portfolio of discrete solutions and embedded systems. We are excited to add Avalanche to our portfolio of partners.

TMS-Elektronik will help us reach more European customers who want to use Avalanche P-SRAM to innovate around Industrial, IoT and Aerospace products, and extend our reach into segments that require high reliability combined with non-volatility, said Danny Sabour, VP of Sales & Marketing at Avalanche Technology. TMS-Elektronik will enable us to have world-class local support for our customers in the vibrant high-tech market of Turkey.

Avalanches serial Persistent SRAM (P-SRAM) devices are based on its latest generation of Spin Transfer Torque Magnetoresistive RAM (STT-MRAM) technology, touting industry leading endurance and densities for non-volatile memory all with a high reliability backbone (no external ECC, wear leveling, battery or shielding needed) and easy to use timings of an SRAM. As true random-access memory devices, allowing reads and writes to occur randomly, they are ideal for applications that require storing and retrieving data without large latency penalties.

Industrial Grade solutions support densities up to 16Mb with a variety of interfaces (SPI, QSPI, parallel) and performance options up to 108MHz SDR/54MHz DDR for serial and 35ns for parallel. For Hi-Rel and Aerospace applications, our solutions provide densities from 16Mb to 8Gb and endurance of 10^16 for true unified memory support and optimized Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWAP-C).

More Information

More information about Avalanche P-SRAM products is available at https://www.avalanche-technology.com/products/discrete-mram.

More information about the 2022 SAHA Expo Defence & Aerospace Exhibition is available at https://www.sahaexpo.com/defence-aerospace-exhibition.

About Avalanche Technology

Avalanche Technology Inc. is the leader in next generation Perpendicular STT-MRAM technology, accepted as the front-runner to replace traditional Flash and SRAM for unified memory architectures in future SOC systems, delivering high performance and low power at 55, 40, 28 and 22nm with scalability beyond 14nm. With a proven STT-MRAM portfolio at multiple geometry nodes combined with an intellectual property portfolio of over 300 patents and applications, Avalanche Technology is delivering on the promise of enabling the next generation of scalable unified memory architecture for industrial, IoT, aerospace and storage applications, making it the true Next Generation MRAM Company. For more information, visit us online at https://www.avalanche-technology.com.

About TMS-Elektronik

TMS-Elektronik was founded in 2004 as a representative and distribution firm for leading semiconductor, RF Microwave and interconnect solutions primarily targeting defense, aviation, space, and telecommunications industries within Turkey. TMS-Elektronik invests in innovative products and services with the help of partners to provide solutions to customers in support of demanding next generation architectures. For more information, visit us online at http://www.tms-elektronik.com/en.

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Avalanche Technology and TMS-Elektronik Announce Representation Agreement for the Republic of Turkey - PR Web

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Talent Management Software (TMS) Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global talent management software (TMS) market reached a value of US$ 10.4 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 25.8 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 16.35% during 2021-2027.

A talent management software (TMS) refers to a workforce management application that involves performance management, strategic hiring and employee development. It enables organizations to track and manage their employees by setting goals, identifying and closing skill gaps, providing personalized development plants and facilitating appraisals.

It provides employers with the tools to accurately manage, evaluate, and compensate based on employee performance. This enables organizations to foster a culture of career development and improve the overall performance of the employees. Owing to this, it finds extensive applications across the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), healthcare, information technology (IT), retail, and manufacturing industries.

Talent Management Software (TMS) Market Trends

The increasing penetration rate of cloud-based platforms, along with the adoption of mobile-based personnel management systems, is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market. Organizations and human resource professionals are increasingly adopting software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms for automating scouting, identifying and acquiring new talents from the talent pools and retaining the existing talent.

A TMS also enables in streamlining the recruitment process, reinforce workforce culture, provide agile learning opportunities and identify the top performers. Additionally, various technological advancements, such as the utilization of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), are also acting as growth inducing factors.

The software uses optical trackers to monitor individuals and to identify market trends and patterns through transactional activities and analytical inputs. Other factors, including the growing need to replace traditional talent management methods to optimize the utilization of resources and improve the quality of hiring decisions, are expected to drive the market further.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

Competitive Landscape:

The report has also analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being

Key Market Segmentation:

Breakup by Component:

Breakup by Deployment Type:

Breakup by End User:

Breakup by Vertical:

Breakup by Region:

North America

Europe

Latin America

Middle East and Africa

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hwu2wv

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Global Talent Management Software (TMS) Market Report 2022: A $25+ Billion Market by 2027 - Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunities and...

Martin Pnek asked me to write a foreword to a new edition of a Czech translation of Adam Smiths The Theory of Moral Sentiments. He gave me permission to post my original English-language text here. The book will be published in 2023 by the Liberln Institut, edited by Pavel Chalupnek, and translated by Hana Rogalewiczov & Vladimr Rogalewicz.

Foreword

Have you noticed? Now you hear a lot about Adam Smiths The Theory of Moral Sentiments (TMS). I think thats good. Of all the books Ive ever read, TMS is my favorite (Ive never read the Bible).

Did you know that from about 1800 to, say, 1976, TMS was consigned to oblivion? During Smiths life, TMS was quite favorably received. Then, after 1790, it was widely disparaged and fell into oblivion, as the exceptional Glenn Morrow observed in 1927. Now, its back in a big way. How many other books are there that resided in oblivion for so longabout 175 yearsand then came back in a big way? Curious, no?

TMS is a curious work, even mysterious. I think it is great that Czech readers have the present resource to get acquainted with the work. TMS abounds in illustrations, so the book does not lack concreteness. Still, it is a complex work. Multi-layered, you might say; and when there are layers beneath the surface, even between the lines, readers will puzzle over just what it is that is down there. (Or should we say up there?) Scholars continue to disagree.

Something about TMS is indisputable: the breadth of its votaries. Admirers of TMS range across academic and scholarly fields and disciplines, across countries and continents, and, most remarkably, across landscapes of political ideology. Today, Smiths ghost is surely pleased to see us meeting to converse over how his text should be interpreted.

Today, Smith scholars agree on some important things. They generally agree that The Wealth of Nations (WN) should be seen as an extension of, or annex to, TMS. They also generally agree that, although the two great works differ greatly in certain aspects, such as the language used and the distance or warmth of the authors voice, there is no underlying tension between the two works. The two works emphasize different things, and to some extent treat different things, but there is no inconsistency between them. Indeed, most of the Smithian contrarietiesthat is, seeming contradictionsthat have engaged scholars are either intra-TMS or intra-WN.

For the reader of the Czech translation, the subtlety and richness of TMS means that reading the work in translation may not work. My feeling, however, is that reading the translation can help one to get to a good understanding of TMS. But achieving a good understanding will require moving on to Smiths words, as he wrote them in English. I have spent many decades studying TMS. Spending a year with the Czech translation is a good way to get acquainted with TMS. Indeed, it might be the best way for Czechs to get acquainted.

As for Smiths words, as he wrote them: Scholars and editors properly emphasize that the work changed considerably from the first edition of 1759 and the sixth edition of 1790. The TMS of 1790 is a larger and richer work than the TMS of 1759. Smith died in 1790, a couple of months after the final edition appeared. The changes made in 1790, taken together, exceed all the changes made in all of the previous editions, in extent and significance. Did the changes ever reverse, or retract, what was said in an earlier edition? I would say, basically, no; Smith never exactly reversed or retracted what he meant in the earlier edition. (Some argue that later editions substantially retract the evident theism of the first edition, but the evidence is somewhat ambiguous.) Smiths thinking surely evolved somewhat between 1759 and 1790, but I think it plausible that if the 1790 Adam Smith and the 1759 Adam Smith were to meet privately and converse, the 36-year-old Smith would have found little in the conversation of the 67-year-old Smith with which to disagree. On the changes to TMS through the six editions, see Erik Matsons article in the Journal of Markets and Morality (2021).

I made a getting-started-on-TMS video you might find helpful (you can watch at 1.5 speed.):

One other thing to keep in mind, that commentators do not say enough: Dont take Smiths representations of what other thinkers thought too seriously. That is, where Smith says that Hume or Hutcheson or the Stoics or the books of casuistry said X, assume that he is positing a foil. He uses that foil to provide a contrast to his own thinking. In associating X with some thinker, Smith is not necessarily to be trustedthough perhaps he makes the association in a way that he supposes his reader will come to see as not entirely without irony or playfulness.

I suspect that in personal interaction, Smith carried himself with less playfulness than his best friend David Hume. But something said about Hume perhaps also had Smith in mind. Smiths younger contemporary Dugald Stewart wrote: Dr. [William] Robertson used frequently to say, that in Mr. Humes gaiety there was something which approached to infantine; and that he had found the same thing so often exemplified in the circle of his other friends, that he was almost disposed to consider it as characteristical of genius. When reading TMS, we commune with a companion who mastered an equipoise between gravity and playfulness.

Originally posted here:

A Foreword to Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments - Independent Institute

A huge change is underway as Germanys largest telecommunications company, Deutsche Telekom, has announced to buy only electric company cars from 1 January 2023. Staff in Germany will have a choice between 33 EV models. The move is part of the Groups broader sustainability initiatives.

Deutsche Telekom announced the phase-out of the combustion engine in new company cars on Thursday at its first Sustainability Day. A spokesperson stressed that the phase-out relates to a part of the vehicle fleet, namely the company cars, and not, for example, the service vehicles. Still, the transition will be relatively rapid since the new procurement rule will apply in Germany from the turn of the year. It is intended to be a first step toward converting the entire vehicle fleet to electric motors, as Telekom states.

This could have a sizeable impact. According to Telekom Mobility Solutions (TMS), a wholly owned subsidiary responsible for the vehicle fleet, the Telekom fleet comprises 23,000 company cars and service vehicles, making it one of the largest company fleets in Germany. Olga Nevska, TMS Managing Director, describes the phasing out of internal combustion engines on her LinkedIn profile as an important milestone on the way to sustainable, connected and demand-driven employee mobility. With 33 pure EV models in the portfolio, she says there is something to suit everyone.

Of course, the current long delivery times also affect Telekom. Just over a month ago, Nevska complained to the Handelsblatt about it. In the process, the equipment is sometimes still changed by the manufacturer. That makes the person placing the order dissatisfied and makes our work more difficult, she said. Telekom waited for 550 electric cars at the time, most scheduled to arrive in spring 2023, according to the German newspaper.

Independently of this, Telekom has synched the switch to fully electric vehicles with an extension of the service life of company vehicles from three to four years. This, too, is with a view to sustainability. In principle, the CO2 emissions of Deutsche Telekoms business vehicles in Germany were around 21,400 tons at the end of 2021. Electrification is expected to reduce emissions by 76 per cent to about 5,000 tons of CO2 by the end of 2026, so Telekom.

According to its managing director, TMS is turning from a fleet into a mobility provider. In this respect, electrification is just one of several transformation processes under the slogan of operational mobility. We take our responsibility as an employer very seriously and have been working for years to offer our employees sustainable mobility that meets their needs. The switch from combustion engines to electric motors plays a central role. At the same time, we are developing attractive offers that will reduce commuting on our roads and enable a convenient switch to the public, shared forms of mobility, Nevska said.

So, in addition to procuring and operating classic company cars or service vehicles, TMS is involved in sharing concepts and on-demand solutions. The company website informs that the company operates a car-sharing fleet, 8,000 salary conversion bicycles, an on-demand shuttle service for around 120,000 people a year, and micro-mobility offerings in the form of pool bikes, scooters and more.

The companys mobility network shall tighten. For those who want to do without their company vehicle altogether, our MaaS platform will soon be launched, which bundles a wide variety of means of transport in one app and makes it easier for all commuters to switch to the public, shared forms of mobility, the TMS boss announces. According to her data, 60 per cent of all employees still come to work in their cars. A figure that is expected to fall further.

Incidentally, Deutsche Telekom offers replacement mobility for the new electric company cars. This means that employees can borrow a combustion engine if necessary. According to Nevska, car subscription models are also becoming increasingly popular within the Group. These allow customers to switch to the vehicle type that suits their current situation. As early as spring 2022, 40% of new orders would be for electric vehicles in this way, the CEO told us in an earlier interview.

At the same time, the business customer division T-Systems takes a pioneering role in the Group. It started converting its business fleet worldwide to electric drives earlier this year. Telekoms international IT subsidiary plans to complete the project for the 1,400 company cars in Germany by 2025.

As a Group, Deutsche Telekom aims to be climate-neutral along the entire value chain (Scope 3) by 2040. For business operations, this target applies as early as 2025 (Scope 1-2). To achieve this, CO2 emissions must be reduced by around 95 per cent compared to 2017.

Our customers, but also our investors, consider it important that our company grows sustainably, said Telekom CEO Tim Httge. It is not only the price of the products that interest them but also the price paid by the environment. That is why we are redoubling our efforts, for example, to achieve climate neutrality and a circular economy.

>> Reporting by Cora Werwitzke, Germany.

telekom.com

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Deutsche Telekom to buy 100% electric company cars from 2023 - http://www.electrive.com

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive stimulation procedure that uses transient electromagnetic fields to act in a focused manner on a particular brain region. It can be used as a therapy for depression, Parkinsons disease or obsessive-compulsive disorders in patients resistant to drug treatments. Researchers from the Paris Brain Institute also showed lasting effects of TMS in rehabilitation after a stroke.

Recording of intraneuronal electrical activity before and after TMS

It is generally considered that high intensity magnetic stimulation used in humans generate an electric field sufficient to modulate the activity of neurons: triggering nerve impulses encoding cerebral information and inducing plasticity phenomena in the neuronal networks of the targeted region.

However, although its therapeutic efficiency has been recognized in a number of cases, the mechanisms that allow TMS to restore or durably modify neuronal activities in the stimulated brain regions remain poorly understood.

For the first time, Manon Boyer and Sverine Mahon, respectively doctoral student and researcher in the team DYNAMICS OF EPILEPTIC NETWORKS AND NEURONAL EXCITABILITY in collaboration with Dr Antoni Valero-cabre Team FRONTLAB: FRONTAL FUNCTIONS AND PATHOLOGY(institutducerveau-icm.org)at the Brain Institute, have directly demonstrated the effect of low-intensity TMS on the excitability and spontaneous activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex, activity that allows these cells to communicate with each other and to transmit information to peripheral organs and muscles. This work is published in The Journal of Physiology.

The researchers combined the application of repeated low-intensity magnetic stimulation to the somatosensory cortex of an experimental model with intracellular recording of the electrical activity of the underlying neurons; a technique allowing to understand the effect of TMS seen from inside the neurons.

They showed that repetitive low intensity TMS can also trigger action potentials in neurons and induce plasticity expressed by a lasting decrease in the spontaneous activity of neurons, in their excitability and in the amplitude of synaptic events (reflecting a decrease in the transmission of information between neurons). These changes are not reproduced by directly stimulating the cells with an electric current of the same intensity, directly demonstrating the specific role of the magnetic field.

In conclusion, this work shows that low-intensity TMS has lasting effects on the excitability and discharge activity of neurons in the cortex and opens up new therapeutic avenues for pathologies in which cerebral hyperexcitability is observed, such as epilepsy or Tourettes syndrome. Indeed, in epilepsy, we observe an abnormally high electrical activity of a set of neurons in the cerebral cortex which then form an epileptic focus.

This work shows that low-intensity TMS, a non-invasive therapy that can be easily deployed at the patients bedside, is a very promising approach for patients with epilepsy.

Reference:Boyer M, Baudin P, Stengel C, et al. In vivo low-intensity magnetic pulses durably alter neocortical neuron excitability and spontaneous activity. J Physiol. 2022;600(17):4019-4037. doi: 10.1113/JP283244

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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What Happens in the Brain During Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation? - Technology Networks

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TMS and SIS to vie for soccer championship - Saipan Tribune

WOODBRIDGE, N.J., Oct. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Soterix Medical Inc. (SMI), a global leader in non-invasive neuromodulation and synergistic brain monitoring technologies, announced today that it has been awarded a Fast Track grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The award implements a personalized parcel-guided repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) approach through cloud-based targeting software and validates performance in clinical trials in patients with treatment resistant depression at Columbia University. The grant follows a pilot study demonstrating that rTMS targeting a specific parcel of the Human Connectome Project (HCP) atlas led to a 100% response in patients who were resistant to the standard 5-cm rule treatment. Soterix Medical's award is for $910,000 over two years, expandable by an additional $1.4 million for follow-on pivotal clinical trials.

TMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is currently an FDA-approved treatment for treatment-refractory depression but only partially effective, with response and remission rates of ~41% and ~35% respectively.

Dr. Dennis Truong, Scientist at Soterix Medical and Principal Investigator of the project says, "Using a proprietary parcel-guided targeting approach, we will develop a software enabling clinicians to perform rTMS procedures for their patients with higher accuracy. This novel technology may revolutionize the field of rTMS, with the potential to cure millions of people from debilitating depressive episodes, who would not otherwise recover. Our ultimate goal is to develop an FDA approved targeting algorithm for standard TMS-resistant Treatment resistant Depression."

Soterix Medical already holds FDA clearance for Neuronavigationthat is intended for the accurate positioning of treatment coil during rTMS. If successful, the final system will be a cloud-based application that can be integrated with any rTMS and Neuronavigation system.

R&D Engineer Mr. Alex Guillen adds, "Leveraging the Human Connectome Project atlas to guide personalized rTMS therapy is currently beyond the capability of conventional rTMS providers. Our cloud-based solution will enable practitioners to use this state-of-the-art targeting approach. Moreover, the software in principle would permit analogous targeting of alternative stimulation sites for other neuropsychiatric conditions."

Contact:Chaya Edelman[emailprotected]888-990-8327

SOURCE Soterix Medical Inc.

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Soterix Medical Announces award of Fast Track NIH grant to develop a Parcel-Guided software to improve efficacy of rTMS treatment for Depression - PR...

Kindra Neely beautifully captures her journey of healing through art and her personal hope in her debut graphic memoir, Numb to This. Numb to This was released on October 11, 2022, and is a searing and heartbreaking look into Neelys experience surviving a mass shooting and the aftermath of living through such trauma. Through stunning art, readers will see the impact of gun control and gun violence from a human and personal lens. It is a perspective that isnt seen or heard nearly enough in a world where many are too invested in their opinions to listen to the stories that matter.

Numb to This follows Neelys earlier life growing up in Texas before a drive-by shooting caused her and her mother to move to Oregon. Oregon was Neelys mothers hometown and she, too, began to think of it as home as she made friends, grew older, and graduated high school. Upon graduation, she decided to attend Umpqua Community College. However, on October 1, 2015, her life changed forever when an armed shooter opened fire on campus, taking the lives of 8 students and a professor. Neely is left trying to pick up the pieces of her life while struggling with trauma, fearing asking for help, and being struck with every subsequent incident of gun violence that occurs.

While Neely offers an honest and heartbreaking picture of the aftermath of living through trauma, she also captures small pieces of hope. She finds hope in her journey to art, learning to heal through art, and learning to ask for help. Additionally, she still very much believes that gun violence can be fixed. I had the honor to speak to Neely about her powerful graphic memoir debut. We talked about the importance of listening to others, maintaining sensitivity in the media, and her discovery of art and its healing power.

Rachel Ulatowski (TMS): Numb to This explores the necessity of listening. In a world where everyone has a story, how do people succeed in making themselves heard? Likewise, how do people with stories prevent themselves from disrupting the voices of others?

Kindra Neely: It took a really long time to feel like I was being heard and I think persistence in a world that moves through story and information quickly is key. There were plenty of times that I felt discouraged but each time I did feel seen by someone it was such a weight off my shoulders that I knew I wanted to create something that helped others feel seen too.

In terms of not speaking over or disrupting others, it can be difficult. I think theres a mindfulness and a sort of humility that comes with both sharing and listening to others. In my mind, I see this book as a turn in a conversation rather than a speech. Im not the authority on all things post-mass shooting, but I am a voice that adds pieces to the story that are not often seen.

TMS: How do survivors of gun violence perceive each subsequent mass shooting differently from those who havent experienced it?

Neely: There is a sort of intimate understanding, having been through it ourselves, of what the people of that community are going through and what they will go through in the subsequent months. Its the difference between sympathy and empathy. For me, theres a particular sort of grief and devastation in knowing that its happened to another person.

TMS: Numb to This gave readers several stomach-churning examples of insensitive, numb journalists who cared more about penning a breaking story than for the survivors of gun violence. What are some ways that journalists and the media can approach coverage of mass shootings in a more sensitive manner?

Neely: I think the golden rule of treat others how youd like to be treated applies really well here. Its important for the story to get out there and for people to be informed, but not at the expense of further traumatizing and exploiting people in crisis. Would you want people coming to your home after you found out your family member was murdered? How would you feel if you were waiting in a classroom to be evacuated and a news channel was messaging you for details online?

I did have some good experiences with journalists from Roseburg that were very careful with what they asked, and treated the matter seriously. I guess theres some disconnect with larger news sources interviewing or reporting on communities that are not their own.

TMS: In Numb to This, you chronicle your participation in March for Our Lives and how it wasnt the healing experience you expected it to be. Can you tell us more about what the March for Our Lives meant for survivors of gun violence? In what ways was it coming to a head on gun violence and in what ways did it fall short for survivors?

Neely: I dont know if I can speak to what March For Our Lives meant for other survivors or if and how it fell short for them. When we talk about survivors of gun violence, that is a large and diverse group of people and experiences ranging from mass shootings to police brutality and domestic violence. I think in the very least, having a physical show of support as large as that, gave a boost of confidence and security that this issue is important to society. I love that the March For Our Lives covered gun violence as a whole and not just mass shootings because theyre not separate issues. The same ideology and problems that are at the root of police brutality and domestic violence are also at the root of most mass shootings. That awareness of their intertwining helps others make those connections when they otherwise wouldnt have.

TMS: When did you first discover your talent for art and how did it aid in your healing?

Neely: Like most people, I definitely loved to draw and create when I was younger. I didnt start really exploring art until I was in college though. I took ceramics and a few courses at UCC and I just had a blast creating. Part of that earlier experience was working on a memorial mosaic at UCC for the students and professor that we lost that day. Almost from the beginning there was an intermingling of art and healing.

I loved working on that mosaic. There was an indescribable relationship between me and the act of service that I was doing. It gave me a place to sit unapologetically with grief and to offer the same once it was completed. Art really gave me a more fluid language to express emotions and feelings that I couldnt otherwise say.

TMS: What kind of message do you hope your graphic novel will share with readers who have experienced trauma but are afraid to ask for help?

Neely: I hope it gives them the courage that it gave me. I hope that in seeing someone else struggle to find their way, they can see that its never too late to ask for help. No matter how dark or far you think youve fallen, there are people that will help you back up.

TMS: In your graphic novel, you mention feeling hopeless, rather than pointless, but that hopelessness is a better place to be because it means there is some belief. What beliefs or personal hopes do you still have regarding the issue of gun violence?

Neely: I firmly believe that gun violence in all its forms can be fixed. For some that might seem nave or frivolously optimistic, but I dont say that with the idea that it will be easy or simple. Its going to take a lot of really difficult work and years of transition, but its doable.

Theres power in positivity when its coming from an authentic and grounded place. I hope to use that and my experience of getting there to help others reach that conclusion too.

You can find Numb to This via Little, Brown and Company and on Bookshop.

(featured image: Little, Brown and Company)

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Interview: Kindra Neely Talks Healing Through Art and Personal Hope in 'Numb to This' - The Mary Sue

In Radcliff, Army veteran Kevin Smith changes his shirt and wipes off his boots before he enters Oasis TMS, a place he has been visiting at least every week for the past year and a half.

Kevin sits down at a chair and has a peculiar-looking skullcap put on by intake coordinator Sarah Johnson, and the treatment begins.

He owns and operates a landscaping and excavating business with his wife, Annette Smith. Every Wednesday, he takes some time out of his morning for his therapy after working outside.

Transcranial magnetic simulation, a physical therapy for the brain, has has helped Kevin with his depression and been more effective than numerous other treatments he has tried.

Kevin retired from the United States Army in 2000. He then went to work at a local Burger King franchise as a district manager.

He said the job was stressful, but nothing he couldnt do. After leaving the job, he said it triggered his first major bout with depression. Shortly before leaving the job, a house fire destroyed their home.

It was so fast. I couldnt believe it. I mean, it happened (leaving the job) and then, two or three hours later, I was in full-fledged depression, Kevin said.

He said he had always had anxiety and some PTSD. Kevin said he served in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, among other places. He said with some therapy and medication, he was able to get out of that bout within eight months.

In 2016, he and Annette began their business. It was doing well, and they had been going to Florida every winter to visit with his brother who had moved there.

In 2020, Kevin said he was in the camper traveling home from Florida when he suddenly started to not feel well. He said, by the time he got home, it was clear he was depressed again.

Kevin described his depression as dry spaghetti noodles that have fallen to the floor, scattered, and hes frantically trying to pick everything up and get it organized. He said, at one point in his depression, he lost 80 pounds and found himself not wanting to do anything.

During both bouts of depression, Kevin had thought about suicide, and had attempted to kill himself with a gun, but it failed.

Medication wasnt working. He then spent two nights voluntarily in rehabilitation at the veteran affairs clinic in Louisville. He said it wasnt helpful, so he checked out of it.

Kevin then attended a three-week inpatient program in Chillicothe, Ohio. He went reluctantly, but said the program helped him to meet and talk with soldiers like him who were also going through what he was going through.

When he got home, he said he wasnt feeling well again after two days. However, at inpatient, he found out about TMS therapy.

Currently, TMS is FDA approved to treat depression and OCD. A typical TMS therapy session involves a patient coming, sitting down and being given a cap which helps to aim at the brains dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. That part of the brain, when underactive for some patients, can result in depression.

Then, an MRI-strength magnet is placed on that spot, and for 18 and a half minutes, magnetic pulses from it are sent through. Typically, patients go for a handful of weeks, five days a week.

Holly Wolfe, Oasis TMS area director, said she was the first employee hired onto the company.

Wolfe said TMS therapy has been around since the 1980s. Wolfe said that TMS is not like electric shock therapy, which can be painful.

During Kevins weekly therapy, he said the only kind of physical feeling he experiences during it is a slight tingle. His eyebrow will also move involuntarily. Other side effects patients might have are headaches, which eventually dissipate.

Wolfe said the magnet opens up lines of communication for that part of the brains pathways. TMS can also make a patients medications more effective.

She said there are ongoing studies that are looking to use TMS to treat addiction, especially cocaine, and ADHD.

Theres a lot of stuff in the pipeline, Wolfe said.

Dave Easterling is the founder of Oasis TMS. He mostly works in custom software development and founded the company after seeing his sister, who has MS, anxiety and depression, have positive results after going to TMS therapy.

I was surprised just how successful TMS was and how long it had been around. Its FDA approved and insurance covers it and I was like, Why doesnt everybody know about this? he said.

Oasis TMS currently has the clinic in Radcliff, one in Louisville and two in the Indianapolis area. Easterling said he would like to have 25 clinics open in the next five years. He said theyre currently seeing 30 patients across all the clinics, but is expecting closer to 50 patients by the end of the year.

Id just like to see it be much more pervasive. Because it really, really helps people, Easterling said.

Annette said that within two weeks of starting the program, he and Kevin could tell a difference. She said, at one point, Kevin was on 13 different medications. Now, hes on two.

After his five-week treatment, Kevin has continued to go do TMS therapy for the past year or so, going in once a week for maintenance.

Wolfe said that 70% to 80% of Oasis TMSs patient population has had success with the therapy. She said she has treated patients between 16 to 84 years old.

However, she said TMS therapy is not a quick fix. Other treatments like medication are still necessary depending on the case.

Its another tool in their tool belt that they can use to decrease the symptoms, Johnson said.

Wolfe Insurance companies have covered the treatment, but have needed proof to show that other antidepressant methods have failed. Kevin said his is paid for through VA benefits.

He said, when October starts, hell start going to TMS therapy twice a month. In January, he and his family will be going on a trip for almost three weeks. He said he wants to see if being away from the therapy will have any effect.

Annette said she had a Vietnam War veteran uncle who died by suicide. She said she wants more veterans to know about this treatment and the effect it had on her husband.

Theres something out there that can help them so that they dont get to the point of suicide, Annette said.

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A good time was not had by all at Texas Motor Speedway over the weekend. (Photos courtesy of NASCAR)

By John Sturbin | Senior WriterRacinToday.com

FORT WORTH, Texas NASCARs Playoff weekend at Texas Motor Speedway provided compelling story lines via the feel-good victories scored by Tyler Reddick and Noah Gragson in their respective Cup and Xfinity series races.

Unfortunately, the on-track action around the high-banked/1.5-mile oval was almost an after-thought considering it played-out against a backdrop of blown Goodyear tires, flash fires and a flurry of grinding wall-bangers. Indeed, the overall cluster-effect conveniently fed into the narrative that The Great American Speedway is in need of a reconfiguration, repave and reboot.

A hot topic all summer on social media, the possible reconfiguration of TMS went all-out on the record Friday morning courtesy of reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson. Asked his opinion on how to improve the quality of racing on TMS uniquely-banked layout, Larson offered this not-so-subtle suggestion to the brain trust of Speedway Motorsports led by President and CEO Marcus G. Smith.

I would like them to demolish this place first, and then start over from scratch, Larson said.

Ouch! That was not what Smith and/or Mark Faber _ who began his tenure as TMS Executive Vice President and General Manager on Aug. 22 _ needed to digest over coffee and Krispy Kremes.

Tyler Reddick takes the checkers at TMS. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

However, the quality of racing here in NASCARs three national touring series and the NTT IndyCar Series has come under increasing driver, fan and media scrutiny since completion of a major capital improvement project in March 2017.

Announced on Jan. 6, 2017 by Smith and former TMS President and General Manager Eddie Gossage, the key element was reduction of the banking in Turns 1 and 2 from 24 to 20 degrees. The Turn 1 apron also was flattened and widened. The banking in Turns 3 and 4 remained at 24 degrees and the entire layout was repaved. The intent was to break TMS out of the cookie-cutter mold associated with intermediate tracks and create added passing opportunities.

Complicating the issue, however, is the fact NASCAR has continued to apply a traction compound/resin that, if not properly heat-activated, reduces the racing surface to a single, slippery bottom lane. That compound has proven especially problematic for passing in the IndyCar Series.

Well, for one, they did a very poor job with the reconfiguration, initial reconfiguration, said Larson, the Hendrick Motorsports ace who won the 17th annual AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 Cup Playoff race in October 2021 en route to his championship. I think I would like to see them go change it from your mile-and-a-half to something shorter. If I could build a track, itd probably be a three-quarter-mile Bristol _ basically pavement and progressive banking, all that. I dont know if thats even possible herebut anything would be better than what they did.

On Sunday, Reddick emerged as the fourth non-Playoff driver in as many 2022 races to earn a victory. Reddick led the final 24 laps of the 18th annual AEA 500 on his way to a 1.19-second victory over Playoff contender Joey Logano. The win was Reddicks first in Cup on an oval, following victories earlier this season at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course.

Reddick, of Richard Childress Racing, led three times for a race-high 70 laps in the 334-lap/501-miler that set Cup track records for most lead changes (36), most leaders (19) cautions (16), caution laps (91) and longest race (4 hours, 21 minutes, 53 seconds). Included in the latter figure was a 56-minute red flag stoppage for unexpected lightning strikes and light rain in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Reddick, who fell two points short of advancing into the current Round of 12, continued the streak of a non-Playoff winners that began in the opening three-race Round of 16. Reddick followed Erik Jones (Darlington Raceway), Bubba Wallace (Kansas Speedway) and native Texan Chris Buescher (Bristol Motor Speedway) in the role of spoilers.

Chief among the tire issue victims Sunday was 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott, who was leading on Lap 184 when the right rear tire on his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet blew exiting Turn 4. The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 slapped the wall with its right rear quarter panel and then the right front fender, sparking a brief fire before coasting into the infield grass. The Playoff point-leader as the race began, Elliott finished 32nd in the 36-car field and fell to eighth in the standings, 26 points behind new leader Logano.

Earlier, Cup regular Cody Ware of family-owned Rick Ware Racing escaped serious injury in a scary crash on Lap 168. Wares No. 51 Ford Mustang whacked the Turn 4 wall at speed, with the impact wadding-up the cars right front suspension. Disabled, the car slid down the 24-degree banking and onto pit road where it slammed the inside retaining wall before stopping in the box of BJ McLeod. Ware exited the cockpit with assistance of the tracks safety crew, but collapsed when he tried to stand up.

Ware was treated and released from the tracks infield care center after experiencing discomfort in his ankle. A team spokesman said Ware did not suffer a concussion and flew back with his team to North Carolina Sunday night.

Trigger-fingers immediately pointed in the direction of Goodyear and Director of Racing Greg Stucker. Team-owner Childress pointed out he and Randall Burnett, crew chief on Reddicks No. 8 Lenovo/ThinkEdge Chevy, had opted for a conservative approach to tire pressures after Saturdays practice and qualifying.

Goodyear builds a great tire, Childress said. This was a great tire that Goodyear built for us. Like Randall said, theres a fine line to push that limit. It wasnt the tire as much as it is trying to be as competitive as you can.

Stucker said this particular tire compound package was introduced at Kansas Speedway, specifically for use on 1.5-mile intermediate layouts.

Were getting as much information from the teams, trying to understand where they are regarding their settings _ air pressures, cambers, suspension and so on, Stucker said during an impromptu infield media center presser. For sure, I can say without a doubt air pressure is playing into it. We know where a lot of the guys are, some more aggressive than others. We know that plays a part. Im not saying thats the only thing but its certainly a factor.

We know a lot of guys have had not had issues _ in fact, guys put full-runs on tires. But obviously, other guys have had issues so well be working with them to try to sort through exactly what that is and how theyre different from other guys.

Stucker added the aggressiveness ramped-up once racing resumed on Lap 224, after the red-flag downtime. We were running considerably faster than what we were before (the stoppage), so all those factors come into play, Stucker said. The resin, I think, kept the racetrack extremely fast. There was very little tire fall-off and when the bottoms not working the guys could move up (one lane). All those factors play into it. No excuses, were just trying to find exactly whats going on.

If you look at races these days, people dont ride very much anymore. When the green flag falls everybodys up on the wheel and they race hard. Everybodys trying to win so everybody gets aggressive. The tire is a new element, thats why we supply the data on setups.

Reddick suggested that all teams are still compiling information on NASCARs Next Gen Chevy Camaros, Ford Mustangs and Toyota Camrys. Sundays race was the first point-paying event at TMS for the Next Gen, which made its competitive albeit non-point debut at TMS during the 38th annual NASCAR All-Star Race in May.

Its a brand-new car, Reddick said. Its the first time in the history of our sport weve gone to an 18-inch wheel and independent rear suspension. All these things are way different, the diffuser. All these things, way different. Were all learning together. Unfortunately, just the nature of it, were having tire failures.

I dont really know all the details on this, to be honest. But I do feel like Goodyear will be able to correct this. I just think as these cars have gotten faster and were getting more speed out of them, hypothetically speaking, were putting the cars through more load and more stress on the tire than they ever really thought we would be.

Scott Miller, NASCARs senior vice president of competition, assured that Goodyear is working to eliminate tire failure. Were all learning about the setups, the tires, Miller said. Goodyear is learning about the construction, the new wheel. Its part of a learningits an unfortunate part of a learning process.

Asked about a possible reconfiguration of TMS, Miller said, Well, I think the general consensus _ this is just is my opinion _ this has been a difficult track to race on for a while now. What the plans are for it, anything like that, I dont have any details on any of that. But if you ask the drivers, if you ask the crew chiefs, its been a difficult place over the years, for sure.

The summers reconfiguration rumors were led by a possible copying of the recent revamping of the 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. A sister Speedway Motorsports facility to TMS, the D-shaped layout now is NASCARs highest-banked intermediate track. Banking was increased from 24 degrees to 28 degrees, while the racing surface was narrowed from 55-feet to 40-feet. The tracks straightaways have remained at 5-degrees.

Ive heard of those reconfiguration rumors (at TMS), for sure, said Logano, the 2018 Cup champion and driver of the No. 22 AAA Ford fielded by Team Penske. I dont know whats truth or whats rumor. My only opinion is dont make it like Atlanta. Were all (drivers) on the same page, so hopefully Marcus listens to the drivers this time.

Or, maybe Marcus might listen to NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. Winner of his first Xfinity and Cup series races here in 1998 and 2000, respectively, Junior chimed-in after Saturdays 18th annual Andys Frozen Custard 300. The 2022 Xfinity Playoffs opener was won by JR Motorsports Gragson, whose fourth consecutive victory tied a record set by Sam Ard in 1983.

Gragson, driver of the No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/True Timber/BRCC Chevrolet Camaro, finished 1.238-seconds in front of fellow-Playoff contender Austin Hill and his No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevy. However, only eight of 38 starters completed a 200-lapper marred by two major crashes and nine cautions for 52 laps.

Heres the reality of the situation, said Junior, on-site as the owner of JR Motorsports and as analyst for NBC Sports telecast. Obviously, the grandstands are going to stay and the condos in Turn 2 arent going anywhere. I doubt that Big Hoss (giant TV) is going anywhere. So, whatever youre going to do has to fit in this footprint. So, a half-mile short track is not happening and a 2.5-mile superspeedway is not happening. Whatever happens has to kind of fit where the track is now. With those parameters, what do you do with this track?

Honestly, I think that I would either do one of two options, and Im scared to put them out here. I would revert back to the original configuration in Turns 1 and 2 and leave Turns 3 and 4 the way its been. Go back to the way the place was before they changed (Turns) 1 and 2 or I meanthey could just repave the treated part of the racetrack. They could leave the bottom two grooves the way they are and literally just pave the upper grooves that have been treated. That new asphalt would have more grip, more speed, guys would be running up there. Youd basically have the racetrack you have now but without the treatment on it.

I think the treatment is a lot of our problem. We put this on the track and it grips and its great but I think long-term you dont want this stuff on the surface. Its re-apply and re-apply and re-apply and its got to be kind of affecting the asphalt in a negative way. So you see guys go up there and (say), I cant mess with it until we activate it. I think for a long period of time you dont want to be putting this on the surface of the racetrack.

I wonder where we might be today with this (tarmac) untreated _ entirely untreated. Thats basically what I think about it. I know that Marcus would love to put Atlanta 2.0 here but I really dont believe thats whats going to happen. I dont think anybody wants another Atlanta.

Parker Kligerman (racer/broadcaster) said it best. He said, This place should be different than anything else _ not like Atlanta, not like anything. Texas only offers X, Y and Z. Thats a great way to think about it going in _ how can you offer something that you dont get anywhere else? And so, start there.

Editors Note:John Sturbin is a Texas-based journalist specializing in motorsports. During a near 30-year career with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he won the Bloys Britt Award for top motorsports story of the year (1991) as judged by The Associated Press; received the National Hot Rod Associations Media Award (1995) and several in-house Star-Telegram honors. He also was inaugural recipient of the Texas Motor Speedway Excellence in Journalism Award (2009). His list of freelance clients includes Texas Motor Speedway, the Dallas Morning News, New York Newsday, Rome (N.Y.) Daily Sentinel, Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller Times, NASCAR Wire Service, Ford Racing and Used Car Dealer magazine).

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Racin' Today Everything's Big In Texas Including Criticism Of TMS - RacinToday.com