We investigate whether corruption "greases the wheels" of bureaucracies and enhances economic performance. Specifically, we examine the interaction effect of corruption and regulation on the economic performance of manufacturing industries in India. Our estimation results show that the combination of corruption and regulation has significant positive effects on gross value added per worker, total factor productivity, and capital labor ratio. This indicates the existence of a "greasing the wheels" effect.

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The effects of product market competition on the growth rates of productivity of firms in the Indian manufacturing sector are examined for the decade since the economic reform in 1991. This study improves on the construction of variables that capture the extent of product market competition. Empirical results indicate that the smaller is the market share of a firm, the higher is the productivity growth of the firm, and this effect is more prominent in a less concentrated market.

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Background The mortality rate of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is extremely high in hemodialysis patients (HDP). These patients also develop lower antibody titers after vaccination. Therefore, factors associated with antibody titers and vaccine efficacy in HDP with breakthrough infection need to be investigated. Methods We measured anti-S1 antibody titers in HDP (n = 104) and controls (n = 35), evaluating the influence of background on HDP by multivariable regression analysis. We classified 26 HDP patients admitted with COVID-19 into the unvaccinated (n = 15) and breakthrough infection group (n = 11), performing between-group comparisons of laboratory findings and prognosis. Vaccinated COVID-19 patients were classified into HDP and non-HDP controls, and compared the relationship between antibody titer and severity, and the prognosis of breakthrough infection. ResultsThe antibody titer was significantly lower in the HDP group than in the control group. Among HDP, age and smoking history were significantly independent factors associated with antibody titer. The breakthrough infection group had significantly better laboratory findings (KL-6 and LDH), severity, and hospitalization period than the unvaccinated group even if antibody titers were lower than the known threshold for neutralization (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in prognosis between the HDP and non-HDP with breakthrough infection. Severity of COVID-19 tended to be higher with lower antibody titer in non-HDP, but not in HDP. Conclusion Vaccines improved the severity of COVID-19 and hospitalization period of breakthrough infection in HDP, although HDP, especially in elderly smokers had lower antibody titers than control. There was no significant association between antibody titer and severity in HDP.

Waste activated bleaching earth (ABE) discharged by an oil refinery plant, which contained 40% palm oil, was used for riboflavin production by a culture of the filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii. When 188 g/L waste ABE containing 75 g/L palm oil was added to the culture, 80% of the palm oil was consumed after 4 d, and the riboflavin concentration reached 2.1 g/L after 10 d of culture. This concentration was almost 1.5 times higher than for cultures grown on pure palm oil, in which case only 68% of the palm oil was consumed. Before the culture was initiated, the surface of the waste ABE was smooth and resembled clay that was covered with palm oil. After the culture, the oil content decreased to 8%. The black color of waste ABE gradually faded and turned yellow, with the ABE finally forming a yellow powder. Eighty percent of the riboflavin produced during the culture period was transferred to oil-depleted waste ABE and the waste-oil-depleted ABE had 14 mg of riboflavin/g of oil-depleted waste ABE. The waste ABE containing waste palm oil was suitable for use as a raw material for the production of value-added riboflavin. Thus, this research might provide a good model for the reuse of waste resources containing vegetable oil.