The sustainability of global food chains and intense agricultural production has become questionable. At the same time, the consumers’ interest in short supply chains (SSCs) and direct sales from producers has increased. SSCs are connected to sustainability by researchers. Their (supposed) positive sustainability attributes are based mostly on extensive production methods and short transport distances. However, from other points of view, the economic and environmental sustainability of the short chains is questionable. Our research aims to cast light on the SSCs’ role in circular economy and sustainability. By deep literature review and content analysis, we determine the sustainability aspects of short (local) chains and their effects related to economy and environment. Short supply chains are connected most widely to circularity and sustainability by the subjects of environmental burden (transport, production method, emission), health, food quality, consumers’ behavior, producer-consumer relationships, and local economy. According to our experience, these factors cannot be generalised across all kinds of short chains. Their circular economic and sustainability features are dependent on their spatial location, type, and individual attitudes of the involved consumers and producers.

Although the majority of social insect colonies are headed by a single queen, some species possess nests that contain numerous reproductive queens (polygyny), a trait that is particularly widespread amongst the ants. Polygyny is often associated with a lack of conspecific inter-nest aggression between workers. This is hypothesised to result from increased nestmate cue diversity within nests, since polygynous nests are more genetically diverse than monogynous nests. Alternatively, it may reflect the common origin of polygynous nests that form polydomous networks. We exploit the recent discovery that the nestmate discrimination system in the ant Formica exsecta is based on cuticular hydrocarbons to investigate cue (Z9-alkenes) diversity in several monogynous and polygynous populations. Contrary to previous predictions, in all polygynous populations, the variation between nests in the Z9-alkene profiles was reduced relative to that found in monogynous populations. However, nest-specific Z9-alkene profiles with little variation amongst nestmate workers were still maintained irrespective of nest type or population. This suggests a very effective gestalt mechanism that homogenises the chemical discrimination cues, despite genetic diversity within colonies. Although the reduction in variation between nests was associated with reduced worker aggression on the population level, it cannot totally explain the weak aggression associated with polygynous populations.

The scientific examination of short food supply chains is justified by consumer interest and their role in the European Unions’ subsidy policy and rural development. In our current article, we present the results of a consumer survey of more than a thousand people from Hungary. It was conducted in the North Hungarian (rural) region. Our research goals were: (1) To access consumer demand for short food supply chains and to determine the characteristics of consumers who prefer local foods; and (2) to examine the role of short food supply chains in rural development by a territorial comparison. The results showed that consumers’ willingness to pay a theoretical premium for local products was high (averagely +20.7%). Compared to that, we considered their monthly purchased quantity low. We found a statistically valid, yet weak, correlation that on a monthly basis, the purchase of local products was more significant for consumers from smaller settlements and villages than those from (greater) cities. Furthermore, there were factors in some consumers’ preferences that indicated a greater interest for small producers’ goods. Although it was not possible to assess the absolute demand of the studied rural area, these results (at a certain level) confirm the potential of short food chains in rural development.

Scientific interest in short supply chains (SSC) and local food has increased in the past decade. Due to the concentration of trade, sale opportunities for small sized agricultural producers has decreased. Short supply chains can offer alternate opportunities for them in trading. Therefore, it is necessary to examine their profitability and role in rural development. In the article, producer satisfaction with marketplaces, by means of primary survey is investigated. The sample area consisted of marketplaces with different sizes and types, and were located in a 40-kilometer-radius area of the capital city, Budapest, and Gyöngyös (located in the Mátra region). Paper-questionnaires with 214 market-producers between August and December of 2018 were carried out, in 22 different places. The survey is based on conventional markets (and market-halls), producer markets, and an eco-market. Results showed that differences between producer markets and conventional ones were more determining than simple territorial differences. Differences between conventional markets of the two areas were not statistically significant. In light of the results, it is worth launching future studies or campaigns that deal with rural consumer susceptibility on producer markets. In this survey, rural producer markets – that could increase producer satisfaction – were not typical.

Abstract:The fast spread of computer networks and broadband Internet access, and also the development of different operating systems, makes possible to use different virtualization techniques and virtual machines. The release and spread of virtualization platforms makes possible the development of cost-effective information systems that can provide in addition dynamic resource management and simplified system administration.In this paper we present a comparative performance analysis of Remote Desktop Virtualization based on Hyper-V versus Remote Desktop Services. We introduce system architecture for the two tested scenario and test environment including detailed hardware description.The main conclusions of the paper are that despite the higher acquisition and maintenance costs, the Remote Desktop Services outperforms the Hyper-V based Remote Desktop Virtualization in memory, CPU and also storage management.

The purpose of our study is to survey the marketing issues of small-scale food production and short supply chains (SSCs) from the consumers’ aspects, and to give insight into the effectiveness and potential of SSC marketing. The paper presents the result of a wide online consumer survey with the participation of more than 1000 consumers, mostly from the Northern Hungary region. According to our experiences, the most effective „marketing instrument” was the personal contact with producers, communication with relatives, and acquaintances. One-third part of our sample could be motivated by (this kind of) marketing and had more willingness to pay for small-producers’ goods.

This study reveals the background situation of local food-based economy in the Eger Wine Region. Local food economy is mostly in initial phase in the region because of small scale supply, barely known local food producers and their supply, weak connections between producers and representation of interests, or major labour issues. Despite all these there are advantageous economic environment for development local food-based economy in the area, because the critical mass of producers is still active in the region and consumer's demand is significant. Tourism provides standing demand for local goods as well. A comprehensive development of market infrastructure would increase the existence of these unique economic entities.

This paper presents an evaluation of different methods used to deliver virtual machines capable of being accessed remotely by thin-clients. The objective of the research was to provide a recommendation for building a cost-effective computer infrastructure for use in two scenarios: as a programming lab, and as an office infrastructure.We have found that different thin-client solutions based on single board computers are reliable solutions for commercially available thin client replacement, because they can run free Linux-based operating systems, can handle Remote Desktop Protocol, have lower acquisition costs, lower power consumption and offer almost the same computing performance.For providing remote desktops, there are several methods and virtualization platforms available. We benchmarked some of these platforms in order to choose the one best-suited for implementation. Our conclusion is that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services outperforms the virtualization based solutions, but it entails high license fees. Of the virtualization solutions tested, the VMW are ESXi based one is the most reliable choice.