tirdclxvi

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Her beauty takes my breath away, like the moon, a sudden, stunning light. A plum blossom, defying winter, blooms in the snow, a vision in the night.

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Paleontologist: I became a paleontologist because dinosaurs are cool

Astronomer: I became an astronomer because space is cool

Chemist: I became a chemist because explosions are cool

Archeologist: I became an archeologist because Indiana Jones is cool

Mycologist: I. Fucking. LOVE. Mushrooms.

Paleontologist: Uh…

Mycologist: IWillLiterallyMurderYouJustSoICanWatchFungiBreakDownYourDecayingRemainsDon’tTestMeBoneBoy

[tirdclxvi]

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What's the difference between a Stored Procedure and Functions in SQL?

I first encountered this two terms when I started working as a Software Engineer. I thought they were the same, but I was wrong. Here's why:

Stored Procedure:

Purpose: Stored procedures are typically used for performing actions or tasks, such as modifying data in the database, running updates, inserts, or deletes, or executing business logic.

Return Value: Stored procedures can return zero or more output parameters but do not return a result set like a function. They use the OUT or OUTPUT keyword to return values.

Usage: Stored procedures are often used for administrative tasks, data manipulation, and running complex business logic within the database.

Transaction Control: Stored procedures can control transactions, allowing you to define transaction boundaries within the procedure. You can use BEGIN TRANSACTION, COMMIT, and ROLLBACK statements inside a stored procedure.

Exception Handling: Stored procedures can include error handling using TRY...CATCH blocks, allowing you to handle exceptions and errors gracefully.

Call: You can execute a stored procedure using the EXECUTE or EXEC statement.

Function:

Purpose: Functions are used to return a single value or a table of values, and they are primarily used for computations and data retrieval.

Return Value: Functions return a value or a table, making them suitable for use within SQL queries. They use the RETURN keyword to return a single value.

Usage: Functions are often used in SELECT statements, WHERE clauses, JOIN conditions, and other SQL expressions to retrieve and compute values.

Transaction Control: Functions cannot contain transaction control statements like BEGIN TRANSACTION, COMMIT, or ROLLBACK since they are designed for read-only operations.

Exception Handling: Functions can include error handling using BEGIN...END blocks, but they cannot use TRY...CATCH blocks for error handling.

Call: You can call a function within SQL statements directly.

In other words, the primary distinction between stored procedures and functions in SQL is their purpose and return type. Stored procedures are used for performing actions and can return output parameters, while functions are used for computations and data retrieval and return single values or tables. Your choice between them depends on the specific requirements of your database tasks.

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Technology advance could expand the reach of 3D nanoprinting

Researchers have developed an easy-to-build, low-cost 3D nanoprinting system that can create arbitrary 3D structures with extremely fine features. The new 3D nanoprinting technique is precise enough to print metamaterials as well as a variety of optical devices and components such as microlenses, micro-optical devices and metamaterials. "Our system uses a two-step absorption process to realize 3D printing with accuracy reaching the nanometer level, which is suitable for commercial manufacturing," said research team leader Cuifang Kuang from the Zhejiang Lab and Zhejiang University, both in China. "It can be used for a variety of applications such as printing micro or nanostructures for studying biological cells or fabricating the specialized optical waveguides used for virtual and augmented reality devices." Conventional high-resolution 3D nanoprinting approaches use pulsed femtosecond lasers that cost tens of thousands of dollars. In Optics Letters, Kuang and colleagues describe their new system based on an integrated fiber-coupled continuous-wave laser diode that is not only inexpensive but also easy to operate.

Read more.

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Liquid metal may be a 'Terminator terror' in the global fight against pathogens

A new liquid metal combination is shaping up as a potential secret weapon in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance, which is already rendering some antibiotic medications powerless against 'superbugs'. Scientists from the U.S. and Australia led by Flinders University have developed a simple metallic coating treatment for bandages, medical devices and even drug nanoparticles which are capable of resisting and killing bacteria. The researchers from Flinders University's Biomedical Nanoengineering Laboratory, University of Sydney and North Carolina State University say the new approach involves testing 'GaLM' nanoscale liquid metal particles which have improved biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity to cells which could be applied as safe and effective antimicrobial agents.

Read more.

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In a groundbreaking advancement, researchers from Stanford University have developed a speech brain-computer interface (BCI) that holds significant promise for individuals with paralysis. By capturing neural signals generated during attempted speech through intracortical microelectrode arrays, this novel BCI achieved remarkable results. A participant afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), rendering them unable to speak coherently, achieved an impressive 9.1% word error rate with a 50-word vocabulary and a 23.8% error rate with a vast 125,000-word vocabulary. This marks the first successful demonstration of decoding speech from a large vocabulary using such technology. Notably, the BCI enabled speech decoding at a rapid pace of 62 words per minute, surpassing prior records by 3.4 times. Encouragingly, the study revealed neural patterns that facilitate accurate decoding from a small cortical region and retained detailed speech representations even after years of paralysis. These findings illuminate a promising path toward restoring efficient communication for paralyzed individuals who have lost the ability to speak.

The organization of orofacial movement and speech production within the motor cortex at a single-neuron resolution is not very well-known. To explore this, neural activity was recorded through four microelectrode arrays, two in the ventral premotor cortex (area 6v) and two in area 44, a component of Broca’s area. The participant, who had bulbar-onset ALS, exhibited restricted orofacial movement and vocalization capabilities but lacked intelligible speech. The findings revealed distinct patterns in area 6v, where strong tuning was observed across all tested movement categories.

This encompassed the successful decoding of various orofacial movements, phonemes, and words with high accuracy. In contrast, area 44, previously linked to higher-order speech aspects, exhibited negligible information related to these categories. Interestingly, speech decoding proved more precise in the ventral array, particularly during the instructed delay phase, aligning with language-associated networks identified through fMRI data.

Continue Reading

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Spacecraft that landed or crashed on the moon, 1959-2023.

Timeline based on landing or impact dates.

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This song was release last 2010 along with episode 6 of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn; but all I could say is that Aimer and SawayanoHiroyuki[nZk] made one the most epic song in my opinion

[tirdclxvi]

Neptun: Ukraine’s Anti-ship cruise missile

The Neptun (Neptune) is a Ukrainian version of a Russian Kh-35 anti-ship cruise missile. It is being developed by Luch design bureau. It is generally similar to the Kh-35U, but has a longer body with more fuel, larger booster, and some other modifications. This missile was first announced in 2013. First examples were reportedly completed and tested in 2016. At the time this missile reportedly lacked guidance system. This missile is planned to have a range of 280 km. It is planned to be carried and launched from naval, land and air platforms.

  Some sources report that before the collapse of the Soviet Union it was planned to produce the Kh-35 missiles in Ukraine. However missile's development predated the end of the Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union. As a result the Kh-35 never entered Soviet service, and was first produced in Russia only in the mid 1990s. So Ukraine could have all the technical documentation for this missile. Furthermore Ukraine was producing engines and some other components for the Kh-35 missiles.

  There is a very interesting thing about this missile. An exact copy of the Neptun was first observed in 2014, in North Korea. It is locally known as Kumsong 3 (Venus 3). Initially it was thought that North Koreans acquired the Russian Kh-35E, or Kh-35UE missiles. However after close examination it appeared that it is not a Russian missile, but is extremely similar to the Ukrainian Neptun. It made its first apparent test launch in 2015 and reportedly demonstrated a range of 200 km. In 2017, during another test launch, the Kumsong 3 demonstrated a range of 240 km. It is unclear how a missile, that was under development in Ukraine, was tested in North Korea even before its test in Ukraine. There is still some missing link in this whole story, how this North Korean missile was developed.

  One of the explanations could be that Ukraine contributed development of the North Korean Kumsong 3 anti-ship missile. Ukraine is actually among Top 10 military producers of the world and has a far more developed weapons industry than North Korea. Also Ukraine supplied engines for North Korean ballistic missiles via Russia before. This fact was confirmed by Ukrainian space agency and South Korean intelligence.

  In terms of performance the Neptun is generally similar to the Russian Kh-35U. It has a planned range of up to 280 km and carries a High Explosive Fragmentation (HE-FRAG) warhead, which weights around 145 kg. This missile should be efficient against vessels with a displacement of up to 5 000 t, such as frigates and smaller destroyers.

  The Neptun will have and inertial navigation system with active radar homing on the terminal stage of its flight. Currently Ukraine is facing problems developing radar of this missile. The missile will travels 10-15 meters above the surface. In the terminal stage of the flight it will descend to 3-5 meters above the surface in order to overcome hostile defense systems.

  This missile travels at subsonic speed. It is estimated that due to its subsonic speed that anti-ship missile can be intercepted rather easily, especially by advanced defense system.

  A Ukrainian coastal defense missile system, that will carry Neptun missiles, is currently being developed. It is planned to be based on a KrAZ 8x8 military truck chassis, and carry 4 missiles per launcher vehicle. There were some proposals to reuse the ageing MAZ-543M heavy high mobility chassis, that are currently in storage, and repurpose them to carry the new Neptun missiles. There were proposals to reuse an old radar of the Rubezh coastal defense missile system. Overall the new Ukrainian coastal defense missile system could be an equivalent of a Russian Bal coastal defense system, though not as capable.

  Kumsong 3 (Venus 3) is a North Korean name which is extremely similar to the Ukrainian Neptun missile. Though it a appeared a little earlier. It was first observed in 2014. This anti-ship missile is carried by vessels and land-based coastal defense missile systems. Its first apparent test launch was made in 2015, when the missile reportedly demonstrated a range of 200 km. In 2017, during another test launch, it demonstrated a range of 240 km.

Source: http://www.military-today.com/missiles/neptun.htm

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True

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Hope for the best, Expect the worst, and take what comes.

Hamilton Crane

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Science is organized knowledge, Wisdom is organized life.

Immanuel Kant

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I suggest you to do WAR but never LOVE because in war either you LIVE or DIE, but in love neither you LIVE nor DIE.

Adolf Hitler

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"Sapagkat ang mundo’y bayan ng hinagpis

Mamamaya’y sukat tibayan ng dibdib

Lumaki sa tuwa’y walang pagtitiis

Anong ilalaban sa dahas ng sakit?"

- Florante at Laura

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Planning to go here someday

Lesotho

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🐢 Remembering the slow yet captivating crawl of evolution.  ~ @thecrashcourse Big History series.