Search

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are highly toxic, carcinogenic substances. On soils contaminated with PAHs, crop cultivation, animal husbandry and even the survival of microflora in the soil are greatly perturbed, depending on the degree of contamination. Most microorganisms cannot tolerate PAH-contaminated soils, however, some microbial strains can adapt to these harsh conditions and survive on contaminated soils. Analysis of the metagenomes of contaminated environmental samples may lead to discovery of PAH-degrading enzymes suitable for green biotechnology methodologies ranging from biocatalysis to pollution control. In the present study, our goal was to apply a metagenomic data search to identify efficient novel enzymes in remediation of PAH-contaminated soils. The metagenomic hits were further analyzed using a set of bioinformatics tools to select protein sequences predicted to encode well-folded soluble enzymes. Three novel enzymes (two dioxygenases and one peroxidase) were cloned and used in soil remediation microcosms experiments. The experimental design of the present study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the novel enzymes on short-term PAH degradation in the soil microcosmos model. The novel enzymes were found to be efficient for degradation of naphthalene and phenanthrene. Adding the inorganic oxidant CaO2 further increased the degrading potential of the novel enzymes for anthracene and pyrene. We conclude that metagenome mining paired with bioinformatic predictions, structural modelling and functional assays constitutes a powerful approach towards novel enzymes for soil remediation.

The demand within the European Union (EU) for the crucial raw material Scandium (Sc), coupled with the lack of sufficient recovery strategies, has gravitated research into exploiting alternative secondary sources. Utilizing residues from ore-production processes has proven to be a successful attempt for advanced Sc recovery. Despite the emergence of new technologies for Sc recovery from such residues, the potential environmental impacts of byproducts and technology wastes are often disregarded. Our study aimed to assess the environmental efficiency of a pilot-scale Sc recovery technology that relies solely on filtration. We employed a problem-specific ecotoxicity toolkit based on the approach of Direct Toxicity Assessment (DTA). The results of DTA provide an indication of the scale of the adverse effect of (contaminated) samples without the necessity of translating the results into chemical concentration. Standardized test methods (Aliivibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition, Daphnia magna lethality and Sinapis alba root and shoot elongation inhibition) were applied, supplemented by a bioconcentration assessment with the D. magna bioaccumulation test method to gain insight on the bioaccumulation potential of different metals in the case of all samples from the filtration technology. Comprehensive genotoxicity evaluations were also implemented using three distinct test methods (Ames test, Ames MPF test, SOS Chromotest). We conducted a comparative direct toxicity assessment to anticipate the potential environmental impacts of residues generated at each filtration step on the aquatic ecosystem. Our findings indicate that the environmental impact of the generated intermediate and final residues was alleviated by the consecutive filtration steps employed. The pilot-scale application of the Sc recovery technology achieved a high and statistically significant reduction in toxicity according to each test organism during the filtration processes. Specifically, toxicity decreased by 73 %, 86 % and 87 % according to the Aliivibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assay, the Sinapis alba shoot elongation inhibition test, and the Daphnia magna lethality test, respectively. The toolbox of industrial ecotoxicology is recommended to predict the environmental performance of metal recovery technologies related to potential ecosystem effects.

Cyclodextrins, commonly used as excipients in antifungal formulations to improve the physicochemical properties and availability of the host molecules, have not been systematically studied for their effects and bioactivity without a complex active substance. This paper evaluates the effects of various cyclodextrins on the physiology of the test organism Candida boidinii. The research examines their impact on yeast growth, viability, biofilm formation and morphological changes. Native ACD, BCD, randomly methylated α- and β-CD and quaternary ammonium α-CD and β-CD were investigated in the 0.5–12.5 mM concentration range in both static and dynamic systems. The study revealed that certain cyclodextrins exhibited notable antifungal effects (up to ~69%) in dynamic systems; however, the biofilm formation was enhanced in static systems. The magnitude of these effects was influenced by several variables, including the size of the internal cavity, the concentration and structure of the cyclodextrins, and the contact time. Furthermore, the study found that CDs exhibited distinct effects in both static and dynamic systems, potentially related to their tendency to form aggregates. The findings suggest that cyclodextrins may have the potential to act as antifungal agents or growth promoters, depending on their structure and surrounding environments.

Quorum sensing (QS) allows bacteria to coordinate their activities by producing and detecting low-molecular-weight signal molecules based on population density, thereby controlling the infectivity of bacteria through various virulence factors. Quorum-sensing inhibition is a promising approach to tackle bacterial communication. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are a class of cyclic oligosaccharides that reversibly encapsulate the acyl chain of the signal molecules, thereby preventing their binding to receptors and interrupting bacterial communication. This results in the inhibition of the expression of various properties, including different virulence factors. To examine the potential quorum-quenching (QQ) ability of newly prepared cyclodextrin derivatives, we conducted short-term tests using Aliivibrio fischeri, a heterotrophic marine bacterium capable of bioluminescence controlled by quorum sensing. α- and β-cyclodextrins monosubstituted with alkylthio moieties and further derivatized with quaternary ammonium groups were used as the test agents. The effect of these cyclodextrins on the quorum-sensing system of A. fischeri was investigated by adding them to an exponential growth phase of the culture and then measuring bioluminescence intensity, population growth, and cell viability. Our results demonstrate that the tested cyclodextrins have an inhibitory effect on the quorum-sensing system of A. fischeri. The inhibitory effect varies based on the length of the alkyl chain, with alkylthio substitution enhancing it and the presence of quaternary ammonium groups decreasing it. Our findings suggest that cyclodextrins can be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of bacterial infections.

A wealth of research has investigated the associations between bilingualism and cognition, especially in regards to executive function. Some developmental studies reveal different cognitive profiles between monolinguals and bilinguals in visual or audio-visual attention tasks, which might stem from their attention allocation differences. Yet, whether such distinction exists in the auditory domain alone is unknown. In this study, we compared differences in auditory attention, measured by standardized tests, between monolingual and bilingual children. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in three electronic databases: OVID Medline, OVID PsycInfo, and EBSCO CINAHL. Twenty studies using standardized tests to assess auditory attention in monolingual and bilingual participants aged less than 18 years were identified. We assessed the quality of these studies using a scoring tool for evaluating primary research. For statistical analysis, we pooled the effect size in a random-effects meta-analytic model, where between-study heterogeneity was quantified using the I2 statistic. No substantial publication bias was observed based on the funnel plot. Further, meta-regression modelling suggests that test measure (accuracy vs. response times) significantly affected the studies' effect sizes whereas other factors (e.g., participant age, stimulus type) did not. Specifically, studies reporting accuracy observed marginally greater accuracy in bilinguals (g = 0.10), whereas those reporting response times indicated faster latency in monolinguals (g = -0.34). There was little difference between monolingual and bilingual children's performance on standardized auditory attention tests. We also found that studies tend to include a wide variety of bilingual children but report limited language background information of the participants. This, unfortunately, limits the potential theoretical contributions of the reviewed studies. Recommendations to improve the quality of future research are discussed.

Screen time among children in most European countries is notably high and is influenced by various sociodemographic and other factors. Our study aimed to explore the associations between parents’ sociodemographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, risk status for type 2 diabetes, and their children’s BMI, physical activity, and screen time. The data were sourced from the 2016 Feel4Diabetes study, involving 12,280 parents and 12,211 children aged 6–9 years (average age 8.21 years) in a cross-sectional study design. We used a logistic regression model to identify potential factors associated with children’s screen time. The results showed that mothers with tertiary education (OR = 0.64; 95%CI = 0.49–0.82; p < 0.001), the middle age group (45–54 years) (OR = 0.81 95%CI = 0.66–0.98; p = 0.033), and families with higher incomes (middle–OR = 0.85; 95%CI = 0.75–0.97; p = 0.014; high–OR = 0.8; 95%CI = 0.69–0.93; p = 0.003) were associated with a decreased chance of children spending more than 2 h/day in front of the screen. In contrast, maternal overweight/obesity (OR = 1.15; 95%CI = 1.03–1.29; p = 0.013) and lower physical activity in children were linked to an increased likelihood of more than 2 h of screen time per day. Our findings suggest that targeted interventions should be developed to mitigate excessive screen time, particularly focusing on low-income families and mothers with low educational levels.

The lack of high-grade scandium (Sc) ores and recovery strategies has stimulated research on the exploitation of non-ore-related secondary sources that have great potential to safeguard the critical raw materials supply of the EU's economy. Waste materials may satisfy the growing global Sc demand, specifically residues from titanium dioxide (TiO2) production. New technologies are being developed for the recovery of Sc from such residues; however, the possible environmental impacts of intermediary products and residues are usually not considered. In order to provide a comprehensive ecotoxicity characterisation of the wastes and intermediate residues resulting from one promising new technology, acid-resistant nanofiltration (arNF), a waste-specific ecotoxicity toolkit was established. Three ecotoxicity assays were selected with specific test parameters providing the most diverse outcome for toxicity characterisation at different trophic levels: Aliivibrio fischeri (bacteria) bioluminescence inhibition (30 min exposure), Daphnia magna (crustacean) lethality and immobilisation (24 h exposure) and Lemna minor (plant) growth inhibition with determination of the frond number (7 d exposure). According to our results, the environmental impact of the generated intermediate and final residues on the aquatic ecosystem was mitigated by the consecutive steps of the filtration methods applied. High and statistically significant toxicity attenuation was achieved according to each test organism: toxicity was lowered based on EC20 values, according to the A. fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assay (by 97%), D. magna lethality (by 99%) and L. minor frond number (by 100%), respectively, after the final filtration step, nanofiltration, in comparison to the original waste. Our results underline the importance of assessing chemical technologies' ecotoxicological and environmental impacts with easy-to-apply and cost-effective test methods to showcase the best available technologies.

Measurement(s) spontaneous hemodynamic brain activity Technology Type(s) functional near infrared spectroscopy

After more than a decade of studying the ecotoxicity of graphene oxide nanomaterials (nGOs), it has been concluded that there is limited information available regarding the environmental risk of graphene-based materials. Since existing ecotoxicological studies of nanomaterials have produced contradictory results, it is recommended that case-by-case studies should be conducted to evaluate their effects. This can be carried out by employing several methods, testing species from different trophic levels, and conducting community studies. Our goal was to evaluate the toxicity effects of two GOs (AF 96/97 and PM 995) derived from different graphite precursors on various test organisms from diverse trophic levels (bacteria, protozoa, a freshwater microbial community, plants, and invertebrate animals) in aquatic environments. We compared the effects of both nGO types and estimated the predicted no-effect environmental concentration (PNEC) values to determine their potential environmental risk. Our findings demonstrated the need for a complex ecotoxicity toolkit since the ecotoxicity results varied based on the test organism, the selected endpoints, and the test method used. Additionally, we found that toxicity effects were dependent on the concentration and characteristics of the specific nGO type used, as well as the exposure time. We estimated the PNEC values for GO AF 96/97 and GO PM 995 in the aquatic compartment to be 8 ng/L and 4 ng/L, respectively. Even after applying the worst-case scenario approach, the tested nGOs pose no environmental risk.

Even though graphene-family materials (GFMs) hold great promise for various applications, there are still significant knowledge gaps in ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment associated with their potential environmental impacts. Here, we provide a critical perspective on published ecotoxicity studies of GFMs based on meticulous bibliometric research. Based on the results of our review paper, in order to fill in the current critical knowledge gaps, the following issues are recommended for consideration: performing more studies on GFMs’ effects at environmentally relevant concentrations and more field and laboratory studies with marine and terrestrial organisms. It is also recommended to assess the ecotoxicity of GFMs in more environmentally relevant conditions, such as in trophic chain transfer studies and by multispecies exposure in micro- or mesocosms, as well as gaining insights into the interactive effects between GFMs and environmental pollutants. It was also revealed that despite their widespread detection in different environmental compartments the potential impacts of GFMs in complex test systems where hierarchical trophic organisation or trophic transfer studies are significantly under-represented. One of the main causes was identified as the difficulties in the physicochemical characterisation of GFMs in complex terrestrial test systems or aquatic micro- and mesocosm studies containing a sediment phase. The lack of tools for adequate characterisation of GFMs in these complex test systems may discourage researchers from conducting experiments under environmentally relevant test conditions. In the coming years, fundamental research about these complex test systems will continue to better understand the mechanism behind GFM toxicity affecting organisms in different environmental compartments and to ensure their safe and sustainable use in the future.

Objectives: Previous virtual care literature within the field of speech-language pathology has primarily focused on validating the virtual use of intervention programmes. There are fewer articles addressing the validity of conducting virtual assessments, particularly standardized assessment of oral language and literacy abilities in children. In addition, there is a lack of practical, useful recommendations available to support clinicians and researchers on how to conduct these assessment measures virtually. Given the recent rapid rise in virtual care and research as a result of the Coronavirus-19 pandemic, clinicians and researchers require guidance on best practices for virtual administration of these tools imminently. This article seeks to fill this gap in the literature by providing such recommendations. Methods: We (a) completed a narrative review of the extant literature, and (b) conducted semi-structured interviews with a group of 12 clinicians, students and researchers who had administered standardized language and literacy assessments with a variety of monolingual and multilingual school-aged children, with and without speech and language difficulties, in clinical and research settings. Six themes: candidacy for virtual assessment, communication and collaboration with caregivers, technology and equipment, virtual administration, ethics, consent and confidentiality, and considerations for bilingual populations were identified as a result of these two processes and were used to develop a set of recommendations to guide the use of standardized assessments in a virtual setting. In line with the Guidelines International Network, these recommendations were rated by group members, and reviewed by external stakeholders. A quasi-Delphi consensus procedure was used to reach agreement on ratings for recommendations. Results: We have developed and outlined several recommendations for clinicians and researchers to guide their use of standardized language and literacy assessments in virtual care, across six key themes. Conclusions: This article is one of the first to share practical recommendations for virtual assessment in the domain of oral language and literacy assessment for clinicians and researchers. We hope the current recommendations will facilitate future clinical research in this area, and as the body of research in this field grows, this article will act as a basis for the development of formal Clinical Practice Guidelines.

An extensive literature exists regarding the effect of bilingualism on cognition in developing populations. However, the term ‘cognition’ is vague and applies to a large number of different abilities. We reviewed 60 publications examining cognition in simultaneous bilingual children to understand what aspects of cognition have been studied in this population and what tasks have been used, in addition to qualitatively assessing the results of bilingual/monolingual comparisons. Executive function was the most frequently assessed cognitive ability across all age groups, paralleling the adult bilingual literature, with memory flexibility and theory of mind also emerging as common targets within infant and preschool age groups. Results are discussed in light of developmental trajectories and assessment methodologies currently available for the cognitive abilities represented in this literature.

Behavioral studies examining vowel perception in infancy indicate that, for many vowel contrasts, the ease of discrimination changes depending on the order of stimulus presentation, regardless of the language from which the contrast is drawn and the ambient language that infants have experienced. By adulthood, linguistic experience has altered vowel perception; analogous asymmetries are observed for non−native contrasts but are mitigated for native contrasts. Although these directional effects are well documented behaviorally, the brain mechanisms underlying them are poorly understood. In the present study we begin to address this gap. We first review recent behavioral work which shows that vowel perception asymmetries derive from phonetic encoding strategies, rather than general auditory processes. Two existing theoretical models–the Natural Referent Vowel framework and the Native Language Magnet model–are invoked as a means of interpreting these findings. Then we present the results of a neurophysiological study which builds on this prior work. Using event-related brain potentials, we first measured and assessed the mismatch negativity response (MMN, a passive neurophysiological index of auditory change detection) in English and French native-speaking adults to synthetic vowels that either spanned two different phonetic categories (/y/vs./u/) or fell within the same category (/u/). Stimulus presentation was organized such that each vowel was presented as standard and as deviant in different blocks. The vowels were presented with a long (1,600-ms) inter-stimulus interval to restrict access to short-term memory traces and tap into a “phonetic mode” of processing. MMN analyses revealed weak asymmetry effects regardless of the (i) vowel contrast, (ii) language group, and (iii) MMN time window. Then, we conducted time-frequency analyses of the standard epochs for each vowel. In contrast to the MMN analysis, time-frequency analysis revealed significant differences in brain oscillations in the theta band (4–8 Hz), which have been linked to attention and processing efficiency. Collectively, these findings suggest that early-latency (pre-attentive) mismatch responses may not be a strong neurophysiological correlate of asymmetric behavioral vowel discrimination. Rather, asymmetries may reflect differences in neural processing efficiency for vowels with certain inherent acoustic-phonetic properties, as revealed by theta oscillatory activity.

Quorum sensing (QS) is a population-density-dependent communication process of microorganisms to coordinate their activities by producing and detecting low-molecular-weight signal molecules. In pathogenic bacteria, the property controlled by QS is often related to infectivity, e.g., biofilm formation. Molecular encapsulation of the QS signals is an innovative method to prevent the signals binding to the receptors and to attenuate QS. Cyclodextrins (CDs) may form an inclusion complex with the signals, thus reducing the communication (quorum quenching, QQ). A systematic study was performed with α-, β-cyclodextrin, and their random methylated, quaternary amino and polymer derivatives to evaluate and compare their effects on the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To examine the concentration-, temperature- and time-dependency of the QQ effect, the CDs were applied at a 0.1–12.5 mM concentration range, and biofilm formation was studied after 6, 24, 48 and 72 h at 22 and 30 °C. According to the results, the QS mechanism was significantly inhibited; the size of the cavity, the structure of the substituents, as well as the monomeric or polymeric character together with the concentration of the CDs have been identified as key influencing factors of biofilm formation. Statistically determined effective concentration values demonstrated outstanding efficiency (higher than 80% inhibition) of α-CD and its random methylated and polymer derivatives both on the short and long term. In summary, the potential value of CDs as inhibitors of QS should be considered since the inhibition of biofilm formation could significantly impact human health and the environment.

The application of Biolog EcoPlate™ for community-level physiological profiling of soils is well documented; however, the functional diversity of aquatic bacterial communities has been hardly studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the applicability of the Biolog EcoPlate™ technique and evaluate comparatively the applied endpoints, for the characterisation of the effects of metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) on freshwater microbial communities. Microcosm experiments were run to assess the effect of nano ZnO and nano TiO2 in freshwater at 0.8–100 mg/L concentration range. The average well colour development, substrate average well colour development, substrate richness, Shannon index and evenness, Simpson index, McIntosh index and Gini coefficient were determined to quantify the metabolic capabilities and functional diversity. Comprehensive analysis of the experimental data demonstrated that short-term exposure to TiO2 and ZnO NPs affected the metabolic activity at different extent and through different mechanisms of action. TiO2 NPs displayed lower impact on the metabolic profile showing up to 30% inhibition. However, the inhibitory effect of ZnO NPs reached 99% with clearly concentration-dependent responses. This study demonstrated that the McIntosh and Gini coefficients were well applicable and sensitive diversity indices. The parallel use of general metabolic capabilities and functional diversity indices may improve the output information of the ecological studies on microbial communities.

An HPLC method has been developed for determination of RAMEB in soil samples contaminated with hydrocarbons. The extraction efficiency of RAMEB from soils was found to depend on the soil properties. The extraction method elaborated results in a good recovery from sandy and loamy soils, but only a poor recovery was obtained from soils of high clay content.A SPE method was worked out to remove the components disturbing the HPLC analysis, and a one-peak method has been developed for the quantitative analyses. The isomer distribution of RAMEB was characterized by fingerprint chromatograms. The new methods have been applied for determination of RAMEB content in soil samples from field treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are considered highly competitive water treatment technologies for the removal of organic pollutants. Among AOP techniques, photocatalysis has recently been the most widely studied. Our aims were to investigate how the dispersion of nanosized titanium dioxide (nanoTiO2) applied in photodegradation-based procedures can be stabilized with cyclodextrins in order to obtain a new, more efficient photocatalyst for the purification of waters polluted by xenobiotics applying UV irradiation. During our work, on the one hand, we studied the behavior and stability of nanoTiO2 in cyclodextrin solutions. On the other hand, we used various monomer and polymer cyclodextrin derivatives, and assessed the options for nanoTiO2 stabilization in the presence of various salts and tap water on the basis of turbidity tests. The physical stability of nanoTiO2 dispersions is diminished in the presence of the salts found in tap water (and occurring also in surface waters and ground water) and they are precipitated immediately. This colloidal instability can be improved by cyclodextrin derivatives. Based on the results of our studies we have selected carboxymethyl β-cyclodextrin polymer (CMBCD-P) for stabilization of nanoTiO2 dispersions. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and ibuprofen as model organic pollutants in various media (distilled water, NaCl solution and tap water) has been studied using nanoTiO2 as catalyst stabilized by CMBCD-P. CMBCD-P itself showed a catalytic effect on the UV degradation of methylene blue. In addition to enhancing the colloid stability of nanoTiO2 CMBCD-P showed also synergistic effects in catalyzing the photodecomposition process of the dye. On the other hand, ibuprofen as a model pharmaceutical, a pollutant of emerging concern (EP), was protected by CMBCD-P against the photocatalytic degradation showing that inclusion complex formation can result in opposite effects depending on the structure of the host–guest complex.

The short-term effects of processed waste materials: sewage sludge compost (up to 0.5%), biochar made of paper sludge and grain husk (BC) (up to 2%) combined with plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial (PGPR) inoculum, on the fertility of acidic sandy soil at 65% of field capacity were tested in a pot experiment in separate and combined treatments. The soil pH, organic matter content, total and plant-available nutrients, substrate-induced respiration, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) root colonisation parameters and maize (Zea mays L.) biomass were investigated in experiments lasting two months. The positive priming (21% organic matter loss) induced by BC alone was not observed after combined application. The combination of compost and PGPR with 1.5% BC resulted in 35% higher P and K availability due to greater microbial activity compared to BC alone. Only compost applied alone at 0.5% gave a 2.7 times increase in maize biomass. The highest microbial activity and lowest AMF colonisation were found in combined treatments. In the short term the combined application of BC, compost and PGPR did not result in higher fertility on the investigated soil. Further research is needed with a wider range of combined treatments on acidic sandy soil for better understanding of the process.

The extensive use of engineered nanomaterials, such as graphene oxide (GO), is stimulating research about its potential environmental impacts on the aquatic ecosystem. This study is aimed to comprehensively assess the acute toxicity of a well-characterized GO suspension to Daphnia magna. Conventional ecotoxicological endpoints (lethality, immobilization) and more sensitive, sublethal endpoints (heartbeat rate, feeding activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)) production were used. The possible normalization of the heartbeat rate and feeding activity in clean test medium was also investigated. The fate, time-dependent, and concentration-dependent aggregation behaviour of GO was followed by dynamic light scattering, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and zeta potential measurement methods. The EC20 value for immobilization was 50 mg/L, while, for physiological and behavioural endpoints, it ranged from 8.1 mg/L (feeding activity) to 14.8 mg/L (immobilization). The most sensitive endpoint was the ROS production with EC20 = 4.78 mg/L. 24-h recovery experiments revealed that feeding activity was restored only up to a certain level at higher concentrations, indicating that the potential environmental health effects of GO cannot be neglected. Alterations of normal physiology (heart rate) and feeding activity may be associated with increased risk of predation and reproductive decline, highlighting that GO may have impacts on population and food web dynamics in aquatic ecosystems.

Max–min algebra (called also fuzzy algebra) is an extremal algebra with operations maximum and minimum. In this paper, we study the robustness of Monge matrices with inexact data over max–min algebra. A matrix with inexact data (also called interval matrix) is a set of matrices given by a lower bound matrix and an upper bound matrix. An interval Monge matrix is the set of all Monge matrices from an interval matrix with Monge lower and upper bound matrices. There are two possibilities to define the robustness of an interval matrix. First, the possible robustness, if there is at least one robust matrix. Second, universal robustness, if all matrices are robust in the considered set of matrices. We found necessary and sufficient conditions for universal robustness in cases when the lower bound matrix is trivial. Moreover, we proved necessary conditions for possible robustness and equivalent conditions for universal robustness in cases where the lower bound matrix is non-trivial.

In this paper the advantages of fuzzy logic used for two - channel systems output comparison in safety - related critical applications have been presented. The paper deals with the design of the fuzzy logic - based comparator that compares the data of traction vehicle velocity in target braking process and its optimisation using the ANFIS method. Some failures of the system in Matlab - Simulink environment have been simulated. The result is the analysis of ailures consequences from the point of system safety.