Overview of European patents in Germany, France and Spain, with a potential application to the development of electric vehicles

Within the Green Deal’s ‘Accelerating the shift to sustainable and smart mobility’, vehicles with alternative propulsion systems will play a significant role, as the transport sector is responsible for one-fifth of the European Union’s CO2 emissions. Therefore, more and more governments are supporting the purchase and production of electric vehicles, as it can be one of the main tools for locally reducing fossil fuel consumption as well as reducing CO2 emissions. The analysis highlights that the three most important vehicle-producing countries (based on 2019 OICA data) from the European Union are Germany, France, and Spain. The development trajectory of these countries in the field of electromobility is presented using descriptive statistics. Sustainable development goals can be achieved by creating an innovative environment and overcoming barriers to innovation, which can be indicated, for example, by the number of patents in a given country. Therefore, a long-term time series based on patents related to electric vehicles will be explored using the database of the European Patent Office. The study describes the vehicle manufacturers with the most patents, and the main patent areas in the three countries analysed

A Recessive Gene for Primary Vesicoureteral Reflux Maps to Chromosome 12p11-q13

Primary vesicoureteral reflux (pVUR) is one of the most common causes of pediatric kidney failure. Linkage scans suggest that pVUR is genetically heterogeneous with two loci on chromosomes 1p13 and 2q37 under autosomal dominant inheritance. Absence of pVUR in parents of affected individuals raises the possibility of a recessive contribution to pVUR. We performed a genome-wide linkage scan in 12 large families segregating pVUR, comprising 72 affected individuals. To avoid potential misspecification of the trait locus, we performed a parametric linkage analysis using both dominant and recessive models. Analysis under the dominant model yielded no signals across the entire genome. In contrast, we identified a unique linkage peak under the recessive model on chromosome 12p11-q13 (D12S1048), which we confirmed by fine mapping. This interval achieved a peak heterogeneity LOD score of 3.6 with 60% of families linked. This heterogeneity LOD score improved to 4.5 with exclusion of two high-density pedigrees that failed to link across the entire genome. The linkage signal on chromosome 12p11-q13 originated from pedigrees of varying ethnicity, suggesting that recessive inheritance of a high frequency risk allele occurs in pVUR kindreds from many different populations. In conclusion, this study identifies a major new locus for pVUR and suggests that in addition to genetic heterogeneity, recessive contributions should be considered in all pVUR genome scans

Localization of a Gene for Nonsyndromic Renal Hypodysplasia to Chromosome 1p32-33

Nonsyndromic defects in the urinary tract are the most common cause of end-stage renal failure in children and account for a significant proportion of adult nephropathy. The genetic basis of these disorders is not fully understood. We studied seven multiplex kindreds ascertained via an index case with a nonsyndromic solitary kidney or renal hypodysplasia. Systematic ultrasonographic screening revealed that many family members harbor malformations, such as solitary kidneys, hypodysplasia, or ureteric abnormalities (in a total of 29 affected individuals). A genomewide scan identified significant linkage to a 6.9-Mb segment on chromosome 1p32-33 under an autosomal dominant model with reduced penetrance (peak LOD score 3.5 at D1S2652 in the largest kindred). Altogether, three of the seven families showed positive LOD scores at this interval, demonstrating heterogeneity of the trait (peak HLOD 3.9, with 45% of families linked). The chromosome 1p32-33 interval contains 52 transcription units, and at least 23 of these are expressed at stage E12.5 in the murine ureteric bud and/or metanephric mesenchyme. These data show that autosomal dominant nonsyndromic renal hypodysplasia and associated urinary tract malformations are genetically heterogeneous and identify a locus for this common cause of human kidney failure