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Typically, the design of all offshore risers focuses on environmental loads i.e. wave loading, wind loads and currents. While these loads are ubiquitous in an offshore environment, accidental loading in the form earthquake induced seismic loads is an important criterion in the design of offshore structures. API RP 2A recommends site-specific studies as a basis for developing the ground motion specification of the design criteria, particularly for sites in areas of high seismicity (Zones 3–5). Seismic loads are low probability events in most cases and there isn't enough data in the initial pre-FEED / FEED phase of project to conduct seismic studies on the riser systems. Designers have to rely on past experience, code guidance, and assumptions for design data. In this paper through the means of two (2) case studies for a region prone with high seismic activities, we will demonstrate the challenges of designing rigid High-Pressure Riser Systems for seismic loads. A comparison will be provided for assumed loads based on code guidance and loads derived from preliminary seismic studies. In addition, comparisons will be provided for the final design loads achieved after the detailed platform design. The results will show the risks of relying solely on one source of data in the design process that can imperil the fabrication / procurement process with redesign due to unforeseen loads. Design optimization through proper centralization and other mitigation strategies will be presented for the benefits of future concrete based fixed platform projects.

Traditionally, shallow water wells have been drilled from fixed platforms, jack-ups or moored drilling rigs. Recently there has been increased interest in performing operations on these wells using new generation of Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs, driven by available capacity of these rigs and environmental regulations that restrict laying anchors on the seabed. Shallow water offshore drilling operations present a set of unique challenges and these challenges are further amplified when operations are performed on older wells with legacy conductor hardware with newer DP vessels and larger BOPs. The objective of the paper is to present challenges that occur during drilling in shallow water and discuss mitigation options to make these operations feasible through a series of case studies. Key challenges to optimizing riser operability and rig uptime are discussed. Potential modifications to the upper riser stack-up and rig deck structure for maximizing operational uptime are discussed. Riser system weak point assessment is presented along with solutions for mitigating risks in case the wellhead or conductor structural pipe is identified as the weak link. Selection of the drilling rig can have significant impact on wellhead fatigue response. Some criteria for rig selection based on drilling riser and wellhead system performance is presented with the objective of optimizing the fatigue performance of the wellhead and conductor system. Wellhead fatigue monitoring solutions in combination with physical fatigue mitigation options are presented to enable operations for fatigue critical wells.

Quantum dots (QDs) are nanocrystals with bright fluorescence and long-term photostability, attributes particularly beneficial for single-molecule imaging and molecular counting in the life sciences. The size of a QD nanocrystal determines its physicochemical and photophysical properties, both of which dictate the success of imaging applications. Larger nanocrystals typically have better optical properties, with higher brightness, red-shifted emission, reduced blinking, and greater stability. However, larger nanocrystals introduce molecular-labeling biases due to steric hindrance and nonspecific binding. Here, we systematically analyze the impact of nanocrystal size on receptor labeling in live and fixed cells. We designed three (core)shell QDs with red emission (600–700 nm) and crystalline sizes of 3.2, 5.5, and 8.3 nm. After coating with the same multidentate polymer, hydrodynamic sizes were 9.2 nm (QD(9.2)), 13.3 nm (QD(13.3)), and 17.4 nm (QD(17.4)), respectively. The QDs were conjugated to streptavidin and applied as probes for biotinylated neurotransmitter receptors. QD(9.2) exhibited the highest labeling specificity for receptors in the narrow synaptic cleft (~20–30 nm) in living neurons. However, for dense receptor labeling for molecular counting in live and fixed HeLa cells, QD(13.3) yielded the highest counts. Nonspecific binding rose sharply for hydrodynamic sizes larger than 13.3 nm, with QD(17.4) exhibiting particularly diminished specificity. Our comparisons further highlight needs to continue engineering the smallest QDs to increase single-molecule intensity, suppress blinking frequency, and inhibit nonspecific labeling in fixed and permeabilized cells. These results lay a foundation for designing QD probes with further reduced sizes to achieve unbiased labeling for quantitative and single-molecule imaging.

How cargoes move within a crowded cell—over long distances and at speeds nearly the same as when moving on unimpeded pathway—has long been mysterious. Through an in vitro force-gliding assay, which involves measuring nanometer displacement and piconewtons of force, we show that multiple mammalian kinesin-1 (from 2 to 8) communicate in a team by inducing tension (up to 4 pN) on the cargo. Kinesins adopt two distinct states, with one-third slowing down the microtubule and two-thirds speeding it up. Resisting kinesins tend to come off more rapidly than, and speed up when pulled by driving kinesins, implying an asymmetric tug-of-war. Furthermore, kinesins dynamically interact to overcome roadblocks, occasionally combining their forces. Consequently, multiple kinesins acting as a team may play a significant role in facilitating smooth cargo motion in a dense environment. This is one of few cases in which single molecule behavior can be connected to ensemble behavior of multiple motors., eLife digest The inside of a cell is a crowded space, full of proteins and other molecules. Yet, the molecular motors that transport some of those molecules within the cell move at the same speed as they would in pure water – about one micrometer per second. How the molecular motors could achieve such speeds in crowded cells was unclear. Nevertheless, Tjioe et al. suspected that the answer might be related to how multiple motors work together. Molecular motors move by walking along filaments inside the cell and pulling their cargo from one location to another. Other molecules that bind to the filaments should, in theory, act like “roadblocks” and impede the movement of the cargo. Tjioe et al. studied a motor protein called kinesin, which walks on filaments called microtubules. But instead of looking at these motors moving along microtubules inside a cell, Tjioe et al. used a simpler system where the cell was eliminated, and all parts were purified. Specifically, Tjioe et al. tethered purified motors to a piece of glass and then observed them under an extremely accurate microscope as they moved free-floating, fluorescently labelled microtubules. The microtubules, in this scenario, were acting like cargoes, where many kinesins could bind. Each kinesin motor also had a small chemical tag that could emit light. By following the movement of the lights, it was possible to calculate what each kinesin was doing and how the cargo moved. When more than one kinesin molecule was acting, the tension and speed of one kinesin affected the movement of the others. In any group of kinesins, about two-thirds of kinesin pulled the cargo, and unexpectedly, about one-third tended to resist and slow the cargo. These latter kinesins were moved along with the group without actually driving the cargo. These resisting kinesins did come off more rapidly than the driving kinesins, meaning the cargo should be able to quickly bypass roadblocks. This would help to keep the whole group travelling in the right direction at a steady pace.

For ultra-deepwater subsea wells, a riser system is required to conduct completion, intervention/workover and end of life activities. For ultra-deepwater riser systems with high temperature and pressure requirements, the intervention riser system often requires vessel interface optimization to achieve acceptable design response. The upper riser can be configured in several different ways, each with its own benefit from a safety, risk and performance perspective. This paper compares the riser response for various vessel interfaces for ultra-deepwater applications. As discussed above, intervention riser structural response is sensitive to the riser configuration at the vessel interface. For a typical intervention riser, due to ultra-deepwater and high tension requirements, the functional tension load may utilize up to 40% of yield strength thus decreasing the capacity available to accommodate bending and pressure loads. Vessel operators have options to modify the system configuration to improve the strength and fatigue response of the riser. The different vessel interface options include the tension lift frame (TLF) to vessel interface, the top tension application method and the use or otherwise of a surface tree dolly. Upper riser assembly (URA) loads may be optimized by use of rotary wear bushings, a cased wear joint assembly or flexjoints as a part of the stack-up. The various riser-vessel interface options are evaluated and compared in this paper. This paper highlights the riser design challenges for ultra-deepwater applications.

This paper presents two case studies of the seismic analysis of high pressure riser and conductor systems used on shallow water fixed platforms (approximately 120m water depth) offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The case studies presented consider the Hebron and White Rose extension Husky gravity-based concrete platforms. A methodology is presented to assess the dynamic and resonant response of each conductor and riser system to seismic loading using a fully integrated conductor and platform interaction model. Seismic loading is an application of an earthquake-generated agitation to a structure. This occurs at contact surfaces either with the ground, or with adjacent structures, or with gravity waves. Nonlinear time history analyses of the riser system subjected to various ground motion records are performed to simulate the seismic load. Design considerations that drive the HP riser design are discussed. The paper addresses the intricacies of the gravity base concrete platform-riser system interaction, initial configuration and dynamic seismic response. The riser and conductor system response is used to determine HP riser connector and centralization requirements. The learnings taken from the detailed modeling method are presented along with the advantages of this methodology.

How cargoes move within a crowded cell—over long distances and at speeds that are nearly the same as when moving on an unimpeded pathway—has long been mysterious. Through an in vitro gliding assay, which involves measuring nanometer displacement and piconewtons of force, we have evidence that when kinesins, a cytoplasmic molecular motor, operate in small groups, from 2-10, they can communicate among themselves through an asymmetric tug-of-war by inducing tension (up to 4 pN) on the cargo. Surprisingly, the primary role of approximately one-third of kinesins is to develop tension, which instantaneously slows forward motion but helps increase cargo run length. These hindering kinesins fall off rapidly when experiencing a forward tug. Occasionally, they may be ripped off from their anchors by other driving kinesins working in tandem. Furthermore, with roadblocks on the microtubule, multiple kinesins cooperate to overcome impediments. Hence, kinesin may employ an asymmetric tug-of-war and a cooperative motion to navigate through cellular environment.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing (3DP) process is a layer by layer manufacturing approach for manufacturing parts with complex geometries. The STL (Stereolithography) file format is the de-facto industry standard for manufacturing parts by AM/3DP. The STL file is a triangular mesh representation of CAD geometry in non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surface format and thus is an approximation of actual part geometry. During the conversion of a complex CAD geometry to an STL file, geometric errors are introduced in the model. These drawbacks associated with the STL file may translate into a faulty or inaccurate final manufactured part. This paper presents a novel Image Processing (IP) based Direct CAD Slicer, IPSlicer, which can be used to manufacture components directly from CAD geometry (without converting to STL file). Using sectional image snapshots of a part, captured normal to the build direction and sectional 2D bounding box data, contour points for each section are identified by performing boundary tracing operation followed by application of Contour Mapping Algorithm (CMA). The method slices the actual NURBS geometry and thus parts manufactured by this method have reduced GD&T errors such as flatness, cylindricity, and profile error. In addition, a support removability analysis tool is developed by performing color-based segmentation on sectional image snapshots in conjunction with a pixel traversal approach. Using the segmented images and sectional bounding box, a sintering area and time calculation tool for each layer is also developed. The effectiveness of IPSlicer is verified by virtually manufacturing test components and calculating GD&T errors by the application of computational metrology algorithms on virtually manufactured data. The support removability analysis tool as well as sintering time and area calculator are validated using several test parts.