Abstract The preverbal vocalisation up to the first word, feeding skills as well as motor development until the first steps of ELBW preterm infants without disability were compared in this descriptive study to those of healthy full-term infants. In addition, preverbal and feeding skills were studied in relation to gross motor movement patterns. The preverbal development of preterm infants proceeded according to the same temporal schedule as that of full-term infants, however, preterm infants failed to produce several vocalisation skills that full-term infants presented. The preterm infants increased their vocalisation slower than the full-term infants in the beginning of each of the developmental stages. The difference between the preterm and the full-term infants grew when approaching syllables, syllable combinations, and words. The preterm infants reached the first word approximately two months later than the full-term infants. The suckling of preterm infants was either disorganised or dysfunctional, while normal or disorganised in the case of full-term infants. The preterm infants reached the spoon-feeding skills approximately at the same (corrected) ages as the full-term infants, but the transitions to new stages were difficult. Half of the preterm infants suffered from feeding problems while only two of the full-term infants had feeding problems. Both the preterm and full-term infants reached vocalisation and feeding skills in relation to gross motor movement patterns earlier than assumed according to the predominant clinical knowledge. The vocalisation and feeding skills did not seem to be dependent upon the gross motor development. / Tiivistelmä Tässä kuvailevassa tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin tiiviissä seurannassa erittäin ennenaikaisina ja pienipainoisina syntyneiden lasten esileksikaalista ääntelyä ensisanaan asti sekä syömistaitojen ja motoriikan kehitystä ensiaskeliin asti. Tuloksia verrattiin terveiden, täysiaikaisina syntyneiden lasten vastaaviin taitoihin. Lisäksi ääntelyn ja syömisen kehitystä tarkasteltiin suhteessa karkeamotoristen taitojen kehitysaikatauluun. Ennenaikaisesti syntyneiden lasten ääntely kehittyi saman aikataulun mukaan kuin täysiaikaisten lasten ääntely. Ennenaikaisesti syntyneet lapset jättivät kuitenkin väliin taitoja, jotka täysiaikaisina syntyneet lapset saavuttivat. Siirryttäessä uusille ääntelyn ja kielen kehitystasoille ennenaikaisina syntyneiden lasten ääntelyn määrä lisääntyi hitaammin kuin täysiaikaisina syntyneiden lasten ääntelyn määrä. Ero ennenaikaisina ja täysiaikaisina syntyneiden lasten kehityksessä kasvoi lähestyttäessä tavuja, tavuyhdistelmiä ja sanoja. Ennenaikaisesti syntyneet lapset saavuttivat ensisanavaiheen kaksi kuukautta täysiaikaisia lapsia myöhemmin. Ennenaikaisina syntyneiden lasten syömisen taidoissa havaittiin, että varhainen imeminen oli joko jäsentymätöntä tai poikkeavaa, kun täysiaikaisina syntyneillä se oli puolestaan normaalia tai jäsentymätöntä. Ennenaikaisina syntyneet lapset oppivat käsittelemään soseita ja kiinteitä ruokia samassa (korjatussa) iässä kuin täysiaikaisina syntyneet lapset, mutta siirtyminen kehitysvaiheesta toiseen tuotti vaikeutta. Puolet ennenaikaisista lapsista kärsi syömisvaikeuksista. Sen sijaan täysiaikaisina syntyneistä lapsista kahdella todettiin syömisen vaikeutta. Sekä ennenaikaisina että täysiaikaisina syntyneet lapset oppivat ääntelyn ja syömisen taitoja ennen tiettyjä karkeamotorisia liikemalleja, joiden on vallitsevan kuntoutuskäsityksen mukaisesti oletettu edeltävän näiden taitojen saavuttamista. Ääntelyn ja syömisen taidot eivät siis näyttäneet olevan riippuvaisia karkeamotoriikan kehityksestä.

Syftet med detta arbete är att bidra med kunskap om hur förskollärare ser på lek och dess betydelse för barns motoriska utveckling. De har fått dela med sig av sina tankar om hur lek och motorisk utveckling har för relation och vad förskollärare anser är deras roll vad gäller lek och motorisk utveckling. Detta har möjliggjorts genom att använda sig av det fenomenologiska perspektivet där människan erfar världen genom kropp och sinne. Tidigare forskning visar att det finns ett tydligt samband mellan lek och motorisk utveckling. Arbetet bygger på kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra förskollärare. Resultatet visar att förskollärarna anser att det finns ett tydligt samband vad gäller lek och motorisk utveckling. I resultatet framkom det även att pedagogerna i förskolan har en viktig roll i arbetet med lek och motorisk utveckling. Att vara närvarande pedagog förutsätter att fler är med och deltar och att det blir en jämnare nivå på leken. / The purpose of this work was to provide knowledge about how preschool teachers look at play and its importance for children´s motor development. They have shared their thoughts about how play and motor development are related and what preschoolers consider is their role in play and motor development. This has been made possible by using the phenomenological perspectives where man experiences the world through body and mind. Previous research shows that there is clear connection between play and motor development. The survey is based on qualitative interviews, semistructured interviews on four preschools teachers. The result shows that preschool teachers believe there is a clear connection in play and motor development. In the result, it was also found that the preschool teachers play and important role in the play and motor development. Being a present teacher assumes that more people participate and participate, and that there is more even level of play.

Abstract The recommendation for infants to sleep supine has decreased the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome by more than a half, but as another consequence, a dramatic rise has been observed in the incidence of acquired cranial asymmetry (deformational plagiocephaly, DP). According to recent data, almost half of otherwise healthy infants are affected by some degree of DP at 7 to 12 weeks of age, and especially in the USA and some Central European countries, major effort is put into treatment of severe DP. However, little is known of the prognosis of DP in the absence of intervention, and although primary preventive strategies are often recommended, a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of such measures persists. Furthermore, although 3D imaging is nowadays frequently used on infants with DP, no data is available on the accuracy of the measurements used to quantify cranial asymmetry. In the present study, the efficacy of a primary preventive program in reducing the incidence of DP was tested in a randomized, controlled trial. The course of DP in the absence of active treatment was studied throughout the first year of life, and factors impacting the prognosis of DP were investigated. The diagnostic accuracy of four 3D stereophotogrammetry-based measurements was also analyzed and compared, with a goal of determining their optimal cut-off values for DP. DP was less prevalent and less severe in the intervention group infants at the end of the RCT (3 months). The point prevalence of DP peaked at 3 months, whereafter spontaneous improvement in DP was seen throughout the follow-up period until 12 months of age. A preferential infant head position at 3 months was the strongest predictor of a subsequently unfavorable course of DP. Cranial asymmetry seen at birth was transient, and none of the older infants with torticollis had presented neck imbalance at birth, but rather appeared to develop the condition postnatally concomitantly with DP. Although all studied asymmetry-related measurements performed well regarding diagnostic accuracy, OCLR produced the most accurate classification of DP. In conclusion, primary preventive guidelines would likely aid in reducing the burden from both DP itself and associated healthcare costs, although substantial spontaneous improvement from DP can usually be expected. The cut-off values defined for the asymmetry-related measurements have clinical implication in both making the diagnosis of DP and determining the target outcomes for treatment. / Tiivistelmä Imeväisten nukuttaminen selällään on vähentänyt kätkytkuolemien määrää alle puoleen aiemmasta, mutta käytäntö on myös huomattavasti lisännyt asentoperäisen, ei-synostoottisen vinokalloisuuden esiintyvyyttä; tuoreen tutkimustiedon mukaan jopa lähes joka toisella imeväisellä on nähtävissä jonkinasteista asentovinokalloisuutta 7–12 viikon iässä. Etenkin USA:ssa ja muutamissa Keski-Euroopan maissa vaikea-asteista asentovinokalloisuutta hoidetaan aktiivisesti kypäräortoosein, mutta samanaikaisesti tietämys tilan luonnollisesta kulusta on vähäistä. Vaikka riskitekijöitä tunnetaan ja ehkäiseviä toimenpiteitä usein suositellaan, ei niiden tehosta ole juuri näyttöä. Nykyään 3D-pintakuvantamista käytetään usein vinokalloisten imeväisten seurannassa, mutta epäsymmetrian mittaamiseen käytettyjen muuttujien osuvuudesta ei ole tietoa. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää vastasyntyneiden vanhemmille annettavan vauvan käsittelyohjeistuksen vaikutusta asentovinokalloisuuden ilmaantuvuuteen satunnaistetussa, kontrolloidussa asetelmassa. Lisäksi pitkäaikaisseurannassa kartoitettiin asentovinokalloisuuden luonnollista kulkua ja ennusteeseen vaikuttavia tekijöitä suomalaisilla imeväisillä. Tutkimuksessa myös analysoitiin ja vertailtiin 3D-kuvista laskettavien epäsymmetriaa mittaavien muuttujien diagnostista osuvuutta. Käsittelyohjeita saaneiden lapsilla oli 3 kuukauden iässä merkittävästi vähemmän asentovinokalloisuutta ja kalloasymmetria oli lievempää kuin verrokkiryhmässä. Asentovinokalloisuuden esiintyvyys oli korkeimmillaan juuri 3 kuukauden iässä, jonka jälkeen merkittävää spontaania palautumista oli havaittavissa koko 12 kuukauden ikään jatkuneen seurannan ajan. Vastasyntyneillä nähty kalloasymmetria oli puolestaan ohimenevää, eikä myöskään vastasyntyneenä dokumentoitu kaulan liikerajoitus lisännyt myöhemmän vinokalloisuuden riskiä, vaan vinokalloisilla usein tavattava torticollis (kierokaula) näytti kehittyvän ensimmäisten elinviikkojen aikana yhdessä vinokalloisuuden kanssa. 3 kuukauden iässä havaittu imeväisen halu pitää päätään aina samaan suuntaan käännettynä oli yhteydessä kalloasymmetrian huonompaan spontaaniin palautumiseen. Tutkituista epäsymmetriaa mittaavista muuttujista OCLR erotteli vinokalloiset parhaiten. Yhteenvetona voidaan todeta, että ennaltaehkäisevä ohjeistus voisi vähentää vinokalloisuutta ja siitä aiheutuvia hoitokuluja kustannustehokkaasti, mutta vinokalloisuudelta on lupa odottaa myös merkittävää spontaania palautumista. Tutkimuksessa määritellyillä epäsymmetriaa mittaavien muuttujien raja-arvoilla on käyttöä sekä diagnostiikan että hoidon tavoitteiden määrittelemisen saroilla.

Prenatal opioid exposure has been studied in relation to infants' medical outcomes. However, large gaps exist in the literature supporting early identification of atypical neurobehavior and motor development of infants with prenatal opioid exposure. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether prenatal opioid exposure has a negative influence on a newborn infant’s neurobehavior and motor development to aid in the early identification of potential delays. Using a prospective quasi experimental design, infants motor development using the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) and neurobehavior using the NICU Neonatal Network Scale (NNNS) was assessed on 58 infants in a hospital setting. Even after statistically controlling for covariates both the TIMP and the six out of twelve subscales of the NNNS: attention, handling, self-regulation, arousal, excitability, and stress were significantly different between the two groups of infants. Infants’ TIMP z-scores were significantly correlated with the NNNS subscales of attention, handing, self-regulation, arousal, excitability, hypertonicity, non-optimal reflexes, and stress. The findings highlight the similarities between the two groups and the outcome measures used for early identification of infants at-risk for delays following prenatal opioid exposure. The neonatal outcomes described here, including growth deficits, motor delays and altered neurobehavior are critical given their association with longer-term health and developmental impacts.

Sammanfattning: Introduktion: Tidig upptäckt av cerebral pares (CP) möjliggör tidig behandling, när hjärnans plasticitet är bäst, vilket optimerar barnets utveckling. I Sverige erbjuds alla barn motoriska utvecklingsuppföljningar inom barnhälsovården (BHV). Barn med kända riskfaktorer för CP följs dessutom inom neonatala uppföljningsprogram, där evidensbaserade bedömningsmetoder används vid motorisk bedömning. För en patientsäker vård behöver nedsatt motorik och CP tidigt identifieras, oberoende vart barnen följs. Syfte: Undersöka skillnader mellan barn med CP tillhörande högriskgrupp (HR) eller lågriskgrupp (LR), gällande första kontakt med fysioterapeut och motorisk bedömning, i Region Uppsala. Metod: Kvantitativ journalstudie med deskriptiv, retrospektiv och komparativ design valdes. Barn födda 2010-2016, diagnostiserade med CP 2010-2018 i Region Uppsala inkluderades. Barnen delades in i HR/LR för CP. Mätvariabler: motorisk nivå och kvalitet, funktionsnivå, typ av CP, ålder första kontakt med fysioterapeut samt ålder remittering till habiliteringsverksamheten. Deskriptiv statistik och icke-parametriska statistiska test användes, p-värde ≤0.05. Resultat: Trettiosju barn inkluderades, 22 HR/15 LR för CP. Barnen med högrisk bedömdes av fysioterapeut, erbjöds behandling samt remitterades till habiliteringsverksamheten signifikant tidigare. Barn med sämre funktionsnivå remitterades signifikant tidigare till habiliteringsverksamheten. Slutsats: Barn med CP i Region Uppsala har ojämlik tillgång till fysioterapeutiska bedömningar och behandlingar. Barn med högrisk för CP bedömdes av fysioterapeut och remitterades till habiliteringsverksamheten tidigare.  Barn med sämre funktionsnivå remitterades också tidigare. Evidensbaserade bedömningsmetoder verkar möjliggöra tidig upptäckt av motoriska avvikelser och därigenom möjlighet till tidiga interventioner. Ett sätt att erbjuda patientsäker och jämlik vård för barn med utvecklingsavvikelser, kan vara att använda evidensbaserade bedömningametoder inom verksamheter vars mål är identifiering av utvecklingsavvikelser. / Abstract: Introduction: Early detection of cerebral palsy (CP) allows for early treatment, when brain plasticity is at its best, which optimizes the child's development. In Sweden, all children are offered motor developmental surveillance in child health services. In addition children with known riskfactors of developing CP are enrolled in neonatal follow-up, using evidence-based assessment methods. In order to provide patientsafe and quality of care, early identification of impaired motor function and CP is needed, regardless of where the children are monitored. Aims: Investigate differences between children belonging to high or low riskgroup for CP regarding first contact with physiotherapist and assessed motorskills, in Region Uppsala. Methods: A quantitative journalstudy with descriptive, retrospective and comparative design was selected. Children born 2010-2016 diagnosed with CP 2010-2018 in Region Uppsala were included and divided into children with high or low risk to develop CP. Measures: motor performance, level of disability, type of CP, first visit at physiotherapist, age of reffered to habilitation-services. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistical tests were used, p-value ≤0.05. Results: Thirty-seven children were included, 22 with high-risk and 15 with low-risk for CP. Children with high-risk were assessed by physioterapist and referred to habilitation-services significantly earlier. Children with more severe disability were also referred significantly earlier. Conclusion: Children with CP in Region Uppsala have unequal access to timely physiotherapy and habilitation-services. Evidence-based assessment methods enable early detection of motor abnormalities and allows for early treatment. To provide safe and equal care, all professionals performing developmental surveillance should use evidence-based assessment methods.

Объектом данного исследования является когнитивное, моторное и речевое развитие детей. Предметом: взаимосвязь темперамента и когнитивного развития детей младенческого и раннего возраста. Магистерская диссертация состоит из введения, трех глав, заключения, списка литературы (71 источник) и приложения, включающего в себя бланки применявшихся методик. Объем магистерской диссертации 129 страниц, на которых размещены 3 рисунка и 4 таблицы. Во введении раскрывается актуальность проблемы исследования, ставятся цель и задачи исследования, определяются объект и предмет исследования, формулируются основная гипотеза. Первая глава включает в себя обзор иностранной и отечественной литературы по теме исследования, описание понятия темперамента в историческом контексте, рассмотрены современные представления о темпераменте отечественной и западной школ Рассмотрены основные методы изучения темперамента. Более детальное рассмотрена концепция психобиологического подхода к развитию темперамента Мэри Ротбарт, а также результаты исследований, посвященных данной концепции. Во второй главе были рассмотрены особенности психического развития детей, был сделан обзор периодизаций развития детей до 3 лет. А также были рассмотрены особенности когнитивного, сенсомоторного и речевого развития в младенческом и раннем возрасте. Третья глава посвящена эмпирической части. В ней рассмотрены методики, использованные в данном исследовании: опросник поведения младенцев, а также «Шкалы развития Бэйли». Здесь представлен корреляционный анализ результатов исследования. А также обсуждение этих результатов. В заключении изложены выводы эмпирической части исследования. А также выводы по выдвинутой гипотезе, обоснована практическая значимость работы и описаны возможные перспективы дальнейшей разработки данной проблематики. / The object of this study is the cognitive, motor and speech development of children. Subject: the relationship of temperament and cognitive development of infants and young children. The master's thesis consists of an introduction, three chapters, conclusion, list of references (71 sources) and an Appendix, including the forms of the applied techniques. The volume of the master's thesis is 129 pages, which contains 3 figures and 4 tables. The introduction reveals the relevance of the research problem, sets the purpose and objectives of the study, determines the object and subject of the study, and formulates the main hypothesis. The first Chapter includes a review of foreign and domestic literature on the topic of research, the description of the concept of temperament in a historical context, modern ideas about the temperament of domestic and Western schools, the main methods of studying temperament. The concept of a psychobiological approach to the development of Mary Rothbart's temperament is considered in more detail, as well as the results of studies devoted to this concept. In the second Chapter, the features of mental development of children were considered, a review of periodization of development of children up to 3 years. The features of cognitive, sensorimotor and speech development in infancy and early age were also considered. The third Chapter is devoted to the empirical part. It describes the methods used in this study: a of infant behavior questionnaire (IBQ-R), and Веyley Scales of Infant Development. Here is a correlation analysis of the results of this research. As well as discussion of these results. In conclusion, the result of the empirical part of the research are presented. As well as conclusions on the proposed hypothesis, the practical significance of the work is justified and possible prospects for further development of this problem are described.

Afrikaans text / Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal wat die invloed van motoriese oefening op die leervermoë van die leerder in die grondslagfase is. Vyf en twintig leerders is ewekansig verdeel in `n eksperimentele en kontrole groep. Oor `n tydperk van vyf weke, voor die aanvang van elke leerafdeling, het die eksperimentele groep, saam met die onderwyseres, klaskamer gebaseerde motoriese oefeninge verrig terwyl die kontrole groep geen intervensie ontvang het nie. Die Copeland’s checklist for Attention Deficit Disorder vraelys is as voor- en natoets gebruik. Na die afloop van die empiriese ondersoek het die eksperimentele groep `n verbetering getoon in onoplettendheid/afleibaarheid, impulsiwiteit, ooraktiwiteit/hiperaktiwiteit, onderaktiwiteit en aandagvermoë, terwyl die kontrole groep oor dieselfde tydperk verswak het of onveranderd gebly het. Die veranderinge was egter nie statisties betekenisvol (p≤0.05) nie. Hierdie resultaat dui slegs op „n tedens dat motoriese oefening 'n positiewe effek op die leerders se leervermoë in die grondslagfase het. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Studies)

Afrikaans text / Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal wat die invloed van motoriese oefening op die leervermoë van die leerder in die grondslagfase is. Vyf en twintig leerders is ewekansig verdeel in `n eksperimentele en kontrole groep. Oor `n tydperk van vyf weke, voor die aanvang van elke leerafdeling, het die eksperimentele groep, saam met die onderwyseres, klaskamer gebaseerde motoriese oefeninge verrig terwyl die kontrole groep geen intervensie ontvang het nie. Die Copeland’s checklist for Attention Deficit Disorder vraelys is as voor- en natoets gebruik. Na die afloop van die empiriese ondersoek het die eksperimentele groep `n verbetering getoon in onoplettendheid/afleibaarheid, impulsiwiteit, ooraktiwiteit/hiperaktiwiteit, onderaktiwiteit en aandagvermoë, terwyl die kontrole groep oor dieselfde tydperk verswak het of onveranderd gebly het. Die veranderinge was egter nie statisties betekenisvol (p≤0.05) nie. Hierdie resultaat dui slegs op „n tedens dat motoriese oefening 'n positiewe effek op die leerders se leervermoë in die grondslagfase het. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Studies)

A crescente preocupação com a poluição ambiental nos centros urbanos tem motivado a adoção de medidas que visam a reduzir o impacto que os agentes poluidores causam. Na cidade de Curitiba, PR, esta preocupação levou os órgãos reguladores do transporte urbano a fomentar o uso do biodiesel B100 como combustível para um conjunto de 34 ônibus da frota da cidade. Entretanto, a adoção desta medida trouxe a necessidade de garantir a vida útil dos motores, o que foi feito definindo-se um plano de manutenção muito mais conservador que o usual, e que previa a troca do óleo lubrificante com o dobro da frequência normalmente praticada. A proposta deste trabalho de mestrado foi a de fazer um estudo que possa subsidiar cientificamente a definição da frequência de troca do lubrificante nos veículos abastecidos com biodiesel B100 no transporte urbano de Curitiba. Para isto, ao longo de um período de 18 meses, o lubrificante desses veículos foi periodicamente analisado, a fim de caracterizar a evolução de seu estado, bem como a degradação de seu desempenho pelo o uso em conjunto com o biodiesel B100. Para obter uma representatividade estatística, tais análises foram feitas em uma população de sete veículos, quatro dos quais eram alimentados com biodiesel B100 e três com óleo diesel convencional, sendo que estes últimos serviam como referência para comparação. As características do lubrificante que foram levadas em conta durante o estudo incluem a viscosidade, a basicidade, a acidez, a oxidação, a contaminação por fuligem, a contaminação por compostos nitrogenados, a contaminação por água, bem como os teores de ferro, chumbo, alumínio, cobre, cromo, silício e molibdênio, elementos estes que tipicamente provêm do desgaste de componentes do motor. O estudo permitiu identificar a viscosidade como a característica que mais se degrada com o envelhecimento do lubrificante pelo seu uso concomitante com o combustível B100. Assim, este parâmetro foi o fator determinante para caracterizar, com base nos resultados obtidos no estudo, que a vida útil do lubrificante deve ser de 9.900 km para o caso de veículos biarticulados, e de 13.100 km para os veículos articulados. Cumpre ressaltar que a realização deste estudo só foi possível pelo interesse e pela colaboração das empresas que juntamente com a UTFPR fizeram parte do projeto LUB-B100: Chevron Brasil Lubrificantes (fabricante de óleos lubrificantes), Volvo do Brasil (montadora de ônibus), Auto Viação Redentor (permissionária do transporte urbano de Curitiba), Nórdica Veículos S. A. (concessionária de veículos) e URBS – Urbanização de Curitiba S. A. (fiscalizadora e reguladora do transporte urbano coletivo de Curitiba). / The increasing levels of pollution in urban centers have induced the adoption of mitigating measures in order to reduce negative consequences. In Curitiba, Southern Brazil, the office that regulates urban passenger transport in the city has promoted the use of pure biodiesel (B100) as fuel for a fleet of 34 buses. However, as this measure was put into practice, concerns related to a possible reduction of engine service life were raised, thus forcing the vehicles-owner companies to adopt a conservative maintenance plan, which doubled the frequency of lubricant oil replacement. This was the opportunity for the present study, which aimed to define on a scientific basis the frequency of lubricant oil replacement in engines fueled with biodiesel B100. In order to characterize both the evolution of lubricant oil degradation, as well as the deterioration of lubricant performance due to the use of biodiesel B100, samples of engine lubricant were collected and analyzed along 18 months. Additionally, aiming to confer statistical representativeness to collected data, a population of 7 buses was considered, four of these being fueled with biodiesel B100, while the other 3 with conventional diesel fuel, thus the latter group served as a reference for comparisons. The following parameters of the lubricant oil were measured and analyzed: viscosity, basicity, acidity, oxidation, contamination by soot, contamination by nitrogenous substances, contamination by water, as well as contents of iron, lead, aluminum, copper, chrome, silicon and molybdenum, which are elements typically originated from the wear of metallic components. The conducted study allowed to point out the viscosity as the lubricant parameter that is most sensitive to concomitant use with biodiesel B100. Thus, this parameter was decisive to conclude that based on measured data the service life of the lubricant should be 9900 km for bi-articulated buses, and 13100 km for the articulated ones. It is worth mentioning that the completion of this study became possible by virtue of the collaboration with those companies that took part of the project named LUB-B100, together with the Federal University of Technology - Parana. These companies are Chevron Brasil Lubrificantes (a lubricant maker company), Volvo do Brasil (a bus manufacturer company), Auto Viação Redentor (a company that operates the passenger urban transport in Curitiba), Nórdica Veículos S. A. (a Volvo dealership company) and URBS – Urbanização de Curitiba S. A. (the office that regulates the urban passenger transport in Curitiba).

A crescente preocupação com a poluição ambiental nos centros urbanos tem motivado a adoção de medidas que visam a reduzir o impacto que os agentes poluidores causam. Na cidade de Curitiba, PR, esta preocupação levou os órgãos reguladores do transporte urbano a fomentar o uso do biodiesel B100 como combustível para um conjunto de 34 ônibus da frota da cidade. Entretanto, a adoção desta medida trouxe a necessidade de garantir a vida útil dos motores, o que foi feito definindo-se um plano de manutenção muito mais conservador que o usual, e que previa a troca do óleo lubrificante com o dobro da frequência normalmente praticada. A proposta deste trabalho de mestrado foi a de fazer um estudo que possa subsidiar cientificamente a definição da frequência de troca do lubrificante nos veículos abastecidos com biodiesel B100 no transporte urbano de Curitiba. Para isto, ao longo de um período de 18 meses, o lubrificante desses veículos foi periodicamente analisado, a fim de caracterizar a evolução de seu estado, bem como a degradação de seu desempenho pelo o uso em conjunto com o biodiesel B100. Para obter uma representatividade estatística, tais análises foram feitas em uma população de sete veículos, quatro dos quais eram alimentados com biodiesel B100 e três com óleo diesel convencional, sendo que estes últimos serviam como referência para comparação. As características do lubrificante que foram levadas em conta durante o estudo incluem a viscosidade, a basicidade, a acidez, a oxidação, a contaminação por fuligem, a contaminação por compostos nitrogenados, a contaminação por água, bem como os teores de ferro, chumbo, alumínio, cobre, cromo, silício e molibdênio, elementos estes que tipicamente provêm do desgaste de componentes do motor. O estudo permitiu identificar a viscosidade como a característica que mais se degrada com o envelhecimento do lubrificante pelo seu uso concomitante com o combustível B100. Assim, este parâmetro foi o fator determinante para caracterizar, com base nos resultados obtidos no estudo, que a vida útil do lubrificante deve ser de 9.900 km para o caso de veículos biarticulados, e de 13.100 km para os veículos articulados. Cumpre ressaltar que a realização deste estudo só foi possível pelo interesse e pela colaboração das empresas que juntamente com a UTFPR fizeram parte do projeto LUB-B100: Chevron Brasil Lubrificantes (fabricante de óleos lubrificantes), Volvo do Brasil (montadora de ônibus), Auto Viação Redentor (permissionária do transporte urbano de Curitiba), Nórdica Veículos S. A. (concessionária de veículos) e URBS – Urbanização de Curitiba S. A. (fiscalizadora e reguladora do transporte urbano coletivo de Curitiba). / The increasing levels of pollution in urban centers have induced the adoption of mitigating measures in order to reduce negative consequences. In Curitiba, Southern Brazil, the office that regulates urban passenger transport in the city has promoted the use of pure biodiesel (B100) as fuel for a fleet of 34 buses. However, as this measure was put into practice, concerns related to a possible reduction of engine service life were raised, thus forcing the vehicles-owner companies to adopt a conservative maintenance plan, which doubled the frequency of lubricant oil replacement. This was the opportunity for the present study, which aimed to define on a scientific basis the frequency of lubricant oil replacement in engines fueled with biodiesel B100. In order to characterize both the evolution of lubricant oil degradation, as well as the deterioration of lubricant performance due to the use of biodiesel B100, samples of engine lubricant were collected and analyzed along 18 months. Additionally, aiming to confer statistical representativeness to collected data, a population of 7 buses was considered, four of these being fueled with biodiesel B100, while the other 3 with conventional diesel fuel, thus the latter group served as a reference for comparisons. The following parameters of the lubricant oil were measured and analyzed: viscosity, basicity, acidity, oxidation, contamination by soot, contamination by nitrogenous substances, contamination by water, as well as contents of iron, lead, aluminum, copper, chrome, silicon and molybdenum, which are elements typically originated from the wear of metallic components. The conducted study allowed to point out the viscosity as the lubricant parameter that is most sensitive to concomitant use with biodiesel B100. Thus, this parameter was decisive to conclude that based on measured data the service life of the lubricant should be 9900 km for bi-articulated buses, and 13100 km for the articulated ones. It is worth mentioning that the completion of this study became possible by virtue of the collaboration with those companies that took part of the project named LUB-B100, together with the Federal University of Technology - Parana. These companies are Chevron Brasil Lubrificantes (a lubricant maker company), Volvo do Brasil (a bus manufacturer company), Auto Viação Redentor (a company that operates the passenger urban transport in Curitiba), Nórdica Veículos S. A. (a Volvo dealership company) and URBS – Urbanização de Curitiba S. A. (the office that regulates the urban passenger transport in Curitiba).