Pathophysiological characterization of traumatic brain injury using novel analytical methods

Severity of traumatic brain injury is usually classified by Glasgow coma scale (GCS) as “mild”, "moderate" or "severe’, which does not capture the heterogeneity of the disease. According to current guidelines, intracranial pressure (ICP) should not exceed 22 mmHg, with no further recommendations concerning individualization or tolerable duration of intracranial hypertension. The aims of this thesis were to identify subgroups of patients beyond characterization using GCS, and to investigate the impact of duration and magnitude of intracranial hypertension on outcome, using data from the observational prospective study Collaborative European neurotrauma effectiveness research in TBI (CENTER-TBI). To investigate the temporal aspect of tolerable ICP elevations, we examined the correlation between dose of ICP and outcome represented by 6-month Glasgow outcome scale extended (GOSE). ICP dose was represented both by the number of events above thresholds for ICP magnitude and duration and by area under the ICP curve (i.e., “pressure time dose” (PTD)). A variation in tolerable ICP thresholds of 18 mmHg +/- 4 mmHg (2 standard deviations (SD)) for events with duration longer than five minutes was identified using a bootstrapping technique. PTD was correlated to both mortality and unfavorable outcome. A cerebrovascular autoregulation (CA) dependent ICP tolerability was identified. If CA was impaired, no tolerable ICP magnitude and duration thresholds were identified, while if CA was intact, both 19 mmHg for 5 minutes or longer and 15 mmHg for 50 minutes or longer were correlated to worse outcome. While no significant difference in PTD was seen between favorable and unfavorable outcome if CA was intact, there was a significant difference if CA was impaired. In a multivariable analysis, PTD did not remain a significant predictor of outcome when adjusting for other known predictors in TBI. In a causal inference analysis, both cerebrovascular autoregulation status and ICP-lowering therapies represented by the therapy intensity level (TIL) have a directional relationship with outcome. However, no direct causal relationship of ICP towards outcome was found. By applying an unsupervised clustering method, we identified six distinct admission clusters defined by GCS, lactate, oxygen saturation (SpO2), creatinine, glucose, base excess, pH, PaCO2, and body temperature. These clusters can be summarized in clinical presentation and metabolic profile. When clustering longitudinal features during the first week in the intensive care unit (ICU), no optimal number of clusters could be seen. However, glucose variation, a panel of brain biomarkers, and creatinine consistently described trajectories. Although no information on outcome was included in the models, both admission clusters and trajectories showed clear outcome differences, with mortality from 7 to 40% in the admission clusters and 4 to 85% in the trajectories. Adding cluster or trajectory labels to the established outcome prediction IMPACT model significantly improved outcome predictions. The results in this thesis support the importance of cerebrovascular autoregulation status as it was found that CA status was more informative towards outcome than ICP magnitude and duration. There was a variation in tolerable ICP intensity and duration dependent on whether CA was intact. Distinct clusters defined by GCS and metabolic profiles related to outcome suggest the importance of an extracranial evaluation in addition to GCS in TBI patients. Longitudinal trajectories of TBI patients in the ICU are highly characterized by glucose variation, brain biomarkers and creatinine

Gene expression studies of pregastrulation development: the basement membrane is essential for cell differentiation

Basement membranes (BMs) are sheet-like structures of extracellular matrix. They act as a supporting structure but can also significantly influence cellular behavior in development, tissue homeostasis and disease. Laminins, a major BM component, are multidomain proteins, consisting of three polypeptide chains (α, β and γ). During pregastrulation development, stem cells convert and epithelial tissues are formed. This process is faithfully mimicked in vitro by embryoid body (EB) cultures. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is crucial when the step-like process of EB development is initiated with the formation of an endoderm. A subendodermal BM is formed, in which the globular domains LG4-5 of the laminin α1 chain (α1LG4-5) are responsible for the induction of the epiblast EBs derived form embryonic stem (ES) cells, modified to repress FGF receptor signaling, have been described before. However, a full-scale analysis of the transcriptome was missing. We therefore analysed these EBs at four time points during differentiation by the use of microarray technique. An extensive catalogue of affected genes was reported. A majority of the genes directed by FGF signalling were encoding BM and endodermal proteins. In addition, we also analysed the expression profile of wild type EBs. In both these studies, we found interesting genes not previously described in early development or identified as FGF targets. Hopefully, our gene catalogue will be a valuable source for the scientific community interested in FGF signaling, developmental biology and stem cell research. Furthermore, a gene expression study was set up to get a better insight of epiblast inducement by α1LG4-5. EBs derived form ES cells with a targeted deletion of the α1LG4-5 domains were analysed. To our surprise, we found several indications of an incomplete differentiation of the visceral endoderm. We therefore hypothesize a novel autocrine mechanism for α1LG4-5 in regulating the developing endoderm. We also suggest novel roles for laminin LG4-5 in the neuromuscular system. Using laminin α2 chain deficient mice overexpressing laminin α1 chain lacking the LG4-5 domains, we show that these domains, and consequently binding to the receptor dystroglycan are not crucial in diaphragm and heart, but essential in the peripheral nervous system

Environmental and lifestyle factors in multiple sclerosis with emphasis on vitamin D, EBV infection, smoking and cancer risk

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The cause of MS remains unknown, but both genetic and environmental predisposing factors have been identified. Vitamin D deficiency, smoking and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection are the most prominent identified environmental risk factors for MS, but how early before MS onset these risk factors have impact is not known. EBV infection, smoking and vitamin D deficiency are risk factors also associated with cancer. The risk of cancer among Finnish MS patients has not been studied since 1990s. Aims of the study: Finnish Maternity Cohort (FMC) is a serum bank collected from Finnish pregnant women since 1983. The main aims of this thesis were to study whether maternal smoking and vitamin D status during pregnancy are associated with later risk of MS among Finnish women, and to study whether maternal EBV antibodies affect the MS risk of the mother and her offspring. Further aims were to investigate the safety and efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in combination with fingolimod therapy in MS patients, and to study cancer risk and factors affecting it among MS patients in Southwest Finland from January 2004 to December 2012. Results: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy was associated with an almost 2-fold risk of MS in both the Finnish mothers and their offspring. Smoking Finnish mothers had a 45% higher future MS risk compared to non-smokers. Highest titers of maternal EBV antibodies in comparison with the lowest tripled the MS risk in the mother and doubled it in her offspring independently of vitamin D and cotinine levels. Use of vitamin D supplements as an add-on to fingolimod showed beneficial effects on magnetic resonance image (MRI) outcomes and depression. Risk of cancer among MS patients in Southwest Finland was equal to controls, but age at breast cancer diagnosis was significantly higher among the MS patients. Smoking history of the patients was incompletely documented. Conclusions: Correcting for vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can be beneficial in MS prevention for both the mother and her child. Smoking is a risk factor for MS in Finnish women and should be a target for lifestyle intervention in young women. Prevention of EBV infection by vaccination could hold potential for decreasing the risk of both numerous cancers and MS, but the risk of increasing MS predisposition by postponing the timing of the EBV infection is a potential risk that must be taken into consideration.Ympäristö- ja elämäntapatekijät MS-taudissa painopiste D-vitamiinissa, EBV-infektiossa, tupakoinnissa ja syöpäriskissä Taustaa: Pesäkekovettumatauti eli multippeliskleroosi (MS) on yleisin krooninen tulehduksellinen ja rappeuttava keskushermoston autoimmuunisairaus. Sen aiheuttaja on tuntematon, mutta useita altistavia geneettisiä ja ympäristötekijöitä on tunnistettu. D-vitamiinin puutos, tupakointi ja Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infektio ovat merkittävimmät ympäristöriskitekijät, mutta sitä kuinka varhain nämä riskitekijät vaikuttavat ei tunneta. Tupakointi ja EBV infektio ovat riskitekijöitä paitsi MS tautiin myös syöpään sairastumiseen. Suomalaisten MS-potilaiden syöpäriskiä ei ole tutkittu 1990-luvun jälkeen. Tavoitteet: Väitöskirjatyön keskeisenä tavoitteena oli tutkia, onko suomalaisten äitien raskaudenaikaisella tupakoinnilla ja matalalla D-vitamiinipitoisuudella yhteys äidin ja lapsen myöhempään riskiin sairastua MS tautiin, ja onko äidin EBV vasta-aineilla vaikutusta äidin ja lapsen myöhempään MS-riskiin. Lisäksi väitöskirjassa tutkittiin D-vitamiinilisän tehoa ja turvallisuutta MS-potilailla yhdistettynä fingolimodihoitoon ja selvitettiin MS-potilaiden syöpäriski Varsinais-Suomessa tammikuun 2004 ja joulukuun 2012 välisenä ajanjaksona. Tulokset: Äidin raskaudenaikainen D-vitamiinipuutos kaksinkertaisti suomalaisen äitiyskohortin naisten ja raskauksista syntyneiden lasten riskin sairastua MS tautiin. Äidin EBV vasta-aineet lisäsivät MS taudin riskiä kolminkertaiseksi naisilla ja 2.5-kertaiseksi heidän jälkeläisillään riippumatta seerumin D-vitamiini- ja kotiniinitasoista. Kohortin tupakoivien suomalaisten naisten riski sairastua MS tautiin tulevaisuudessa oli 45% korkeampi kuin tupakoimattomilla. D-vitamiinilisä fingolimodia käyttävillä MS potilailla oli turvallista ja sillä oli suotuisa vaikutus magneettikuvauksella todettaviin MS-tautimuutoksiin ja depressioon kahden vuoden seurannassa. Varsinais-Suomen MS potilaiden syöpäriski ei eronnut sairaanhoitopiirin kontrolliväestön syöpäriskistä, mutta MS tautia sairastavilla rintasyöpä todettiin merkitsevästi myöhemmällä iällä kuin verrokeilla. Tupakointitausta oli puutteellisesti dokumentoitu. Johtopäätökset: Raskaudenaikaisen D-vitamiinipuutoksen korjaamisesta saattaa olla hyötyä MS taudin ehkäisemisessä niin äideillä kuin heidän jälkeläisillään. Tupakointi on MS taudin riskitekijä myös suomalaisilla naisilla ja tupakoinnin ennaltaehkäisy tulisi olla keskeinen interventio nuorilla naisilla. EBV infektion ennaltaehkäisy rokotteella saattaisi suojata MS taudilta, mutta EBV infektion lykkääminen rokotteella saattaisi jopa lisätä MS riskiä

Utveckling och validering av en metod för att bestämma vattenkravet för natur- eller krossand vid användning i betongproduktion

The goal of the thesis was to develop a fast, small-scale and easily reproducible method for determining the water requirement of sands in concrete. To enable this, 17 different sands were tested, of which 8 were manufactured, also called crushed, and 9 were natural. The developed method involved the measurement of differences in mortar spread induced by the sands, by utilizing a Hägermann cone. The attained spreads were compared to the amount of superplasticizer needed to produce concretes of similar workability with the different sands. The method was validated by confirming the existence of a linear correlation between the spreads and the amounts of superplasticizer required. The accuracy of the method was analysed with statistical analysis. Apart from testing the sands in concrete and mortar, they were also examined as such for physical properties with standardized tests. Based on the attained results, the method was deemed valid, and its accuracy is improved by comparing sands of the same size fractions, by keeping the mortar spread between 120 and 200 mm, and by using a mortar mixer that can incorporate the full range of particle sizes included in each sand. The manufactured sands generally portrayed a slightly higher water requirement than the natural sands, however there were exceptions to this.Målet med arbetet var att utveckla en snabb, småskalig och lättanvändbar metod för att bestämma vattenkravet för olika typers sand i betong. För att möjliggöra detta testades 17 olika typers sand, varav 8 var krossand och 9 var natursand. Den utvecklade metoden utgick på att med hjälp av en Hägermannkon mäta skillnader i bruksutflyt, orsakade av sandens vattenkrav. De uppmätta bruksutflyten jämfördes sedan med mängden flyttillsatsmedel som krävdes för att uppnå en viss konsistens för betong innehållande de olika sandtyperna. Metoden validerades genom att bevisa ett linjärt förhållande mellan bruksutflyt och mängden flyttillsatsmedel som krävdes. Metodens noggrannhet analyserades med hjälp av statistisk analys. Förutom bruks- och betongprover gjordes även undersökningar gällande de fysiska egenskaperna för de olika sandtyperna med standardiserade test. Resultaten påvisar att metoden är användbar, och att den ger noggrannare resultat då sandtyper av samma storleksfraktioner jämförs, då brukets utflyt ligger mellan 120 och 200 mm, samt då en bruksblandare som kan inkorporera alla av sandens kornstorlekar används. I regel hade krossanden ett marginellt högre vattenkrav än natursanden, men det förekom undantag till detta

Interpretation of expected and unexpected results from multimethod analyses of a PWC pottery context

This paper reports on the Pitted Ware Culture site Masmo 2 in Eastern Middle Sweden, where multi-method datings were carried out. The methods applied were radiocarbon dating of charcoal from features and of organic crusts on sherds, luminescence dating of the tempering of ceramic samples, artefact dating and shoreline dating. Interpretations of temporal relationships presuppose reliable dates, and in this case the dates from the various methods do not always agree. The author calls for more joint attempts at correlating dates between methods and rejects the separation of observation from interpretation in excavation strategy

What drives Canidae to live in groups? : With focus on foraging, reproduction and antipredation

Different animals across the globe display a diverse amount of social structures but it’s not clearly understood why some animals choose to live solitary and some in pairs or groups. There are many clear advantages with hunting in groups, communal nursing and defending territories. In some families of the Canidae individuals from previous litters tend to stay in the family group and help to raise the new pups and provision both the pups and breeding female with food. These individuals may benefit from this by indirect fitness. They can continue to learn from their parents and still be provisioned with food and shelter by not dispersing their first year. There is also a theory that these individuals may thrive to acquire the alpha-status in their territory to benefit from the higher quality resources. This study aims to investigate what advantages the jackal (Canis- adustus, aureaus & mesomelas), bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has with their social structures. It is presented in this study that different species of Canidae benefit from different social structures in multiple ways that may depend on their choice of food and habitat, and they all have one thing in common, their helpers

The Iconography of Athenian State Burials in the Classical Period

New Virtual Reality technologies provide the possibility of widening access to information in data. Haptics, the technology of touch, could be an interesting future aid and have large impact on medical applications. The use of haptic devices allows computer users to use their sense of touch, in order to feel virtual objects with a high degree of realism. The aim of the thesis is to investigate the potential deployment and the benefits of using haptic force feedback instruments in maxillo-facial surgery. Based on a produced test application, the thesis includes suggested recommendations for future haptic implementations. At the Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, Virtual Reality technologies are used as an aid to a limited extent during the production of physical medical models. The physical medical models are produced with Rapid Prototyping techniques. This process is examined and described in the thesis. Moreover, the future of the physical medical models is outlined, and a future alternative visualizing patient data in 3D and use haptics as an interaction tool, is described. Furthermore, we have examined the present use of haptic technology in medicine, and the benefits of using the technology as an aid for diagnostic and treatment planning. Based on a presented literature study and an international outlook, we found that haptics could improve the management of medical models. The technology could be an aid, both for physical models as well as for virtual models. We found three different ways of implementing haptics in maxillo-facial surgery. A haptic system could be developed in order to only manage virtual medical models and be an alternative solution to the complete Rapid Prototyping process. A haptic system could serve as a software, handling the image processing and interfacing from a medical scanner to an Rapid Prototyping system. A haptic system could be developed as an alternative interaction tool, which could be implemented as an additional function in currently used image processing software, in order to improve the management of virtual medical models before the Rapid Prototyping process. An implementation for planning and examination in maxillo-facial surgery, using haptic force feedback interaction, is developed and evaluated. The test implementation is underlying our aim of investigating the potential deployment and the benefits of using haptic force feedback instruments in maxillo-facial surgery. After discussing the possible future of our implementation and the future of haptic force feedback in maxillo-facial surgery, a recommendation is given as a conclusion of our total work

Variation i utsöndring av blodmaskägg hos häst

Due to an increased occurrence of resistance towards anthelmintics among equine endoparasites today, it is recommended that selective therapy is performed to minimize the use of anthelmintics. Selective therapy means that only infected individuals will be treated. Faecal samples are collected and analysed to find out whether the horse should receive treatment or not. Today the faecal samples are randomly collected by the owner, which could lead to a variation in the result. The instructions concerning how and when the sample should be collected are very simple and could possibly be more precise. The purpose of this study is to examine if the instructions for faecal sampling could affect the result of the samples. Questions asked were: does the occurrence of parasites change over time; does the occurrence of parasites differ between morning and night and does the occurrence of parasites vary in a pile of dung? The hypothesises were: the occurrence of parasites change over time; the occurrence of parasites do not differ between morning and night and the occurrence of parasites do not vary in a pile of dung. The trial was split up into three sub studies. In sub study one we followed five horses during six weeks, samples were collected once weekly. Sub study two followed two horses, two times a day during fourteen days. Samples were collected both morning and night with a twelve-hour interval. During sub study three we collected three dung balls from each pile of dung, with a total of 30 piles. The dung balls were individually analysed. The modified version of the McMaster-method was used for all egg counting. The results from sub study one showed a significant difference in egg shedding in 20% of cases (3 of 15 comparisons). The difference was significant only when week one was compared with other weeks. Sub study two showed a significant difference in egg shedding between morning and night during four of fourteen days (28,6%). During three of these four days, the shedding of eggs was higher in the morning than by night. Sub study three showed that there was only a small difference in egg shedding between a dungball and the whole pile of dung. The conclusion that was made were that the instructions for collecting samples were sufficient. Concerning sub study one, we argue that the variation seen in our result is likely due to methodological errors during the first week’s samples. Thereby the hypothesis “the occurrence of parasites change over time” is rejected. Both hypothesis “the occurrence of parasites does not differ between morning night” and “the occurrence of parasites does not vary in a pile of dung” are assumed.Idag bär majoriteten av alla svenska hästar på inälvsparasiter där mängden varierar mellan individer, föl och unghästar har oftast en högre förekomst av parasiter än vuxna hästar. Blodmask är en typ av inälvsparasit och är de mest förekommande parasiterna hos häst. En häst som är kraftigt infekterad kan visa flera olika symptom, bland annat kolik, avmagring, nedsatt allmäntillstånd och diarré. Under flera årtionden har man enligt tradition bekämpat maskangrepp med avmaskningsmedel, behandlingen har skett med fasta intervaller, året runt. Då denna behandlingsmetod har applicerats på hela hästbesättningen har resistens mot avmaskningsmedel uppkommit. Den första misslyckade behandlingen rapporterades på 1960-talet bara några få år efter att det första avmaskningsmedlet lanserades. Under tidigt 1990-tal började selektiv behandling att rekommenderas. Selektiv behandling innebär att ett träckprov med äggräkning utförs och om hästen överskrider en viss gräns kommer den att behandlas med ett anpassat avmaskningsmedel. Användandet av selektiv behandling har gått långsamt framåt, det finns olika antaganden om anledningar till detta. Ett är bristande kommunikation och kunskapsspridning mellan forskare och veterinärer, samt mellan veterinärer och hästägare. Vid äggräkning finns det olika metoder att tillgå, en av dem är McMaster som är en relativt enkel metod att utföra. McMaster är även den metod som rekommenderas av World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology för bestämning av behandlingsintensiteten gällande avmaskningsmaskningsmedel på tamboskap. Problemet som ligger till grund för denna studie är dagens slumpmässigt insamlade träckprov som utförs av hästägaren i kombination med relativt enkla anvisningar för hur provinsamlingen ska gå till. Denna insamlingsmetod skulle kunna medföra en stor variation i provresultatet. För att minska denna variation skulle de anvisningar som finns idag kunna bli mer specifika. Vi ville genom denna studie ta reda på om förekomsten av parasiter förändras över tid, om förekomsten av parasiter skiljer sig mellan morgon och kväll, samt om förekomsten av parasiter varierar inom samma träckhög. Till studien användes skolhästar från Flyinge AB, dessa ingick i tre olika delstudier. I den första delstudien samlades prover in en gång i veckan under sex veckors tid, där användes fem hästar. Den andra delstudien sträckte sig över 14 dagar, där samlandes prover morgon och kväll från två olika hästar. I den tredje delstudien utfördes prover på 30 slumpvis utvalda träckhögar från hästar som deltagit i de tidigare studierna. Resultatet i delstudie 1 visade en märkbar variation mellan vecka ett och två, ett och tre, samt ett och fem. Det sågs ingen märkbar variation i jämförelse mellan övriga veckor. I delstudie 2 såg vi märkbar skillnad mellan förmiddag och eftermiddag på dag ett, tolv, tretton och fjorton. Övriga tio dagar kunde ingen märkbar skillnad ses mellan de prover som togs på förmiddag och eftermiddag. Resultatet i delstudie 3 visade att antalet EPG skiljde sig mellan träckhögens medelvärde och varje enskild träckboll, men utan risk för ett osäkert resultat som skulle kunna leda till en onödig avmaskning. I diskussionen analyserades tillförlitligheten och precisionen på den metod som användes. Slutsatsen blev att McMaster är en vedertagen metod trots den lägre noggrannhet och precision som påvisats. Vad gäller utvärdering och jämförelse mellan olika äggräkningsmetoder så krävs mer omfattande studier för mer insikt. I diskussionen analyserades även de resultat som studien gett, vad som kan ha påverkat den märkbara variation som sågs, tänkbara felkällor och ett lämpligt tillvägagångssätt för att minimera felkällor. Slutsatsen blev att den variation som sågs i delstudie 1 mellan vecka ett och två är svår att tolka, en tänkbar anledning kan vara ett metodfel under vecka ett då detta var de första proverna som utfördes. Ett lämpligt tillvägagångssätt för att minimera risken för felkällor är att ha en person som är erfaren av äggräkningsmetoden till att i början av studien kontrollräkna proverna och övervaka utförandet. Angående de prover som utfördes i delstudie 2 diskuterades det angående att fler ägg urskildes på förmiddagen jämfört med eftermiddagen under tre av fjorton dagar. Detta resultat skulle kunna innebära att prover som samlas in på förmiddagen är mer tillförlitliga, men att de även skulle kunna innebära en överskattning av mängden parasiter. I diskussionen angående delstudie 3 diskuterades det kring resultatet att det skiljde sig mellan träckhögens medelvärde och varje enskild träckboll, men utan risk för ett osäkert resultat. Det diskuterades kring de fem av 90 fall som påvisade en skillnad och hur den påvisade att det kan ha en betydelse i enskilda fall. Tänkbara felkällor och tankar för vidare studier analyseras. Slutsatsen från delstudie 3 blev att resultatet från en enskild träckboll inte påverkar träckhögens resultat, detta innebär att de anvisningar för insamling av träckprov som finns idag är tillräckliga. För vidare studier finns intresset att följa ett större antal hästar under en längre tidsperiod samt använda sig av tydligare riktlinjer vid insamling av prover, exempelvis var i träckhögen som provet ska tas. Det hade även varit intressant att använda sig av två olika äggräkningsmetoder som är möjliga att jämföras jämtemot varandra. Den generella slutsatsen från studien blev att de anvisningar som finns idag för provtagning var tillräckliga

Multi-threaded execution of Cypher queries

In this report we investigate parallel execution of queries in graph databases. We analyse different methods of parallelization, how to introduce query parallelization to a graph database, which query operations that are suitable for parallelization and if we can improve the execution time of a single query. We do this by designing and implementing a parallel runtime for the Cypher query language in the graph database Neo4j, but many of the design ideas and operators investigated are applicable to any graph database. We focus on increasing performance for a select few operators, while still being fully integrated with Neo4j. We take much inspiration from a design called morsel-driven parallelism. This means that we strive to split the workload into many small pieces, “morsels”, and then hand these morsels to the threads executing the query. This is in contrast to a more classical parallelization approach, where you split the workload into a few big parts of equal size. We conclude that the operators best suited for parallelization are the operators that can be split into several smaller parts, where each part can be computed independently. We successfully introduce parallel execution of Cypher queries to Neo4j and by doing so we increase the performance of a single query by up to 15 times under certain conditionsGrafdatabaser blir allt vanligare, samtidigt som antalet processorer i moderna datorer ökar mer och mer. Vi tittar i detta arbete på hur parallelliserad sökning kan leda till prestandavinster i den populära grafdatabashanteraren Neo4j. För att ta reda på om det går att parallellisera en enskild sökning i en grafdatabas och hur stor påverkan detta då har på svarstider, skapade vi vår egen modifierade version av Neo4j. Vi började med att ta reda på vilka delar av mjukvaran som bäst lämpade sig för parallellisering, med hänsyn till hur ofta de förekom i sökningar samt hur pass stora krav de ställde på processorn. Efter att ha valt ut ett antal av dessa så gick vi vidare med att ta fram metoder för att dela upp dem i mindre uppgifter som kunde köras i olika delar av processorn samtidigt, för att slutligen införa dessa ändringar i Neo4j. Resultatet är en version av Neo4j som under rätt förhållanden ger upp till 15 gånger snabbare svar på enskilda sökningar

Internal Brand Pilgrimage - A conceptualization of how brands with a heritage use corporate museums internally

Purpose: The purpose is to explore the phenomenon of utilizing corporate museums in internal branding, in order to understand what they are, how they are used and why in the context of strategic brand management in general and brands with a heritage in particular. Methodology: A qualitative multiple case study with a constructionist and inductive approach has been executed. The case companies represent four Swedish brands with a heritage; Absolut Vodka, Hästens, IKEA and Volvo Cars. Theoretical Perspective: In order to develop theory and establish a new conceptual framework, the fields of corporate museums, internal branding and corporate heritage brands function as the three theoretical realms. Empirical Data: The empirical data consists of six observations of corporate museums, eight semi-structured interviews with managers and six unstructured discussions with tour guides and employees during the observations, as well as secondary data in terms of brochures, catalogues and corporate materials. Conclusions: Internal Brand Pilgrimage is an organized journey for corporate stakeholders, organized in the sense that there are internal branding motives for going to a corporate museum and that the content of brand heritage is communicated through live storytelling. The framework consists of five elements, representing Place, Journey, Pilgrims, Content and Motives