Voice conversion (VC) is an area of speech processing that deals with the conversion of the perceived speaker identity. In other words, the speech signal uttered by a first speaker, the source speaker, is modified to sound as if it was spoken by a second speaker, referred to as the target speaker. The most obvious use case for voice conversion is text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis where VC techniqu...

Is active restoration the best approach to achieve ecological restoration success (the return to a reference condition, that is, old-growth forest) when compared to natural regeneration in tropical forests? Our meta-analysis of 133 studies demonstrated that natural regeneration surpasses active restoration in achieving tropical forest restoration success for all three biodiversity groups (plant...

Coastal marine ecosystems can be managed by actions undertaken both on the land and in the ocean. Quantifying and comparing the costs and benefits of actions in both realms is therefore necessary for efficient management. Here, we quantify the link between terrestrial sediment runoff and a downstream coastal marine ecosystem and contrast the cost-effectiveness of marine- and land-based conserva...

—Implicit in the question, ‘‘How should I prioritize restoration actions?’’ is often the unstated question, ‘‘What should I restore?’’ Distinguishing between these questions helps clarify the restoration planning process, which has four distinct steps: (1) identify the restoration goal, (2) select a project prioritization approach that is consistent with the goal, (3) use watershed assessments ...

Voice conversion (VC) is an area of speech processing that deals with the conversion of the perceived speaker identity. In other words, the speech signal uttered by a first speaker, the source speaker, is modified to sound as if it was spoken by a second speaker, referred to as the target speaker. The most obvious use case for voice conversion is text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis where VC techniqu...

Measures aimed at conservation or restoration of ecosystems are often seen as net-cost projects by governments and businesses because they are based on incomplete and often faulty cost-benefit analyses. After screening over 200 studies, we examined the costs (94 studies) and benefits (225 studies) of ecosystem restoration projects that had sufficient reliable data in 9 different biomes ranging ...

The liberalization of electricity markets has led to an increased cost pressure on power grid operators. As they are also responsible for the reliable supply of electricity, power grid operators aim to optimally balance the opposing objectives of cost and quality of supply. One main aspect of the quality of supply is the continuity of supply, i.e., the availability of electricity to consumers. ...

There is little published information on "nearnatural" ecosystems and their restoration. Ecosystem restoration involves the setting of a date to indicate a restoration point (e.g., 1778 for the National Park Service in Hawaii) and presupposes some knowledge of ecosystem status at the target date and time. In Hawaii, knowledge of past conditions is usually precluded by the rapidity and magnitude...