The role of non-government organizations (NGOs) has been commendable in promoting sustainable farming. Through mobilization of existing resources and provision of training to farmers on various agriculture subjects, NGOs could trigger increased productivity and agricultural sustainability. However, empirical evidence on this claim is limited and no study recognizes the supporting conditions required for NGO intervention to improve productivity. Cross-sectional data from hazelnut farmers in Azerbaijan are used to evaluate the role of NGO intervention in improving farmers' technical efficiency. To this end, stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) is applied to study hazelnut farmers' production efficiency. Three different measures are employed to estimate NGO intervention: Training, subsidy and, a combination of training and subsidy. The results indicate that NGO intervention is not significant in influencing technical efficiency. This is attributable to the absence of good organization, innovation orientation, accountability and stakeholder involvement and support which are the necessary supporting conditions facilitating an enabling environment for NGO intervention to improve farmers' technical efficiency. Therefore, we recommend policy directed at addressing these issues in order to simultaneously enhance farmers' productivity and improve the functioning of the NGOs. Beyond NGO intervention, encouraging farmers to specialize in hazelnut production and allocating more suitable land for hazelnut production will also improve farmers' technical efficiency significantly.

Background and Aims Although renal transplantation improves survival, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality still remain as a significant problem compared with nonrenal populations. In end stage renal disease metabolic cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, hyperuricemia, obesity and diabetes mellitus have been confirmed to be positively correlated with arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness is an important characteristic of the arterial wall and can be assessed noninvasively by the measurement of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWv). The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk factors for arterial stiffness in kidney transplant recipients. Method One hundred and forty nine kidney transplant recipients from our renal transplant outpatient clinic were enrolled into the study. All patients were evaluated for their standard clinical (age, gender, duration of hemodialysis, post-transplant time), biochemical parameters. Anthropometric and body composition analyses were performed for all patients. Body compositions were analyzed by using the Body Composition Analyzer (Tanita BC- 420MA). PWv was determined from pressure tracing over carotid and femoral arteries using the SphygmoCor system. Results Patients were divided into two groups according to PWv levels. The frequency of patients with PWv ≥ 7 m/s was higher in patients with new onset diabetes (55.9%), hyperuricemia (uric acid level type="Periodical" type="Periodical" type="Periodical" type="Periodical" type="Periodical" type="Periodical" type="Periodical" type="Periodical"> 7 mg/dl) (p:0.029, 0.05). Higher carotid-femoral PWv was significantly related with systolic (p:0.003) and diastolic blood pressure (p:0.002), uric acid (p:0.0001) and fasting glucose (p: 0.02) levels. According to body composition analyses, muscle mass, visceral fat ratio and body weight were significantly higher in patients with PWv ≥ 7 m/s (p < 0.005). In patients with high PWv, sagittal abdominal diameters and waist circumferences were significantly higher than patients with PWv < 7 m/s. When criteria for metabolic syndrome were assessed there were a significant increase in pulse wave velocity in patients with 0-1; 2-3; and 4-5criteria (p < 0.01). Conclusion In post transplantation period, metabolic syndrome indices as high blood pressure, hyperuricemia, hyperglycemia and increased waist and hip circumferences are closely related with arterial stiffness. For cardiovascular risk reduction after renal transplantation; blood pressure, serum glucose and uric acid levels should be under strict control.

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