Music is an integral part of the cultural heritage of all known human societies, with the capacity for music perception and production present in most people. Researchers generally agree that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the broader realization of music ability, with the degree of music aptitude varying, not only from individual to individual, but across various components of music ability within the same individual. While environmental factors influencing music development and expertise have been well investigated in the psychological and music literature, the interrogation of possible genetic influences has not progressed at the same rate. Recent advances in genetic research offer fertile ground for exploring the genetic basis of music ability. This paper begins with a brief overview of behavioral and molecular genetic approaches commonly used in human genetic analyses, and then critically reviews the key findings of genetic investigations of the components of music ability. Some promising and converging findings have emerged, with several loci on chromosome 4 implicated in singing and music perception, and certain loci on chromosome 8q implicated in absolute pitch and music perception. The gene AVPR1A on chromosome 12q has also been implicated in music perception, music memory, and music listening, whereas SLC6A4 on chromosome 17q has been associated with music memory and choir participation. Replication of these results in alternate populations and with larger samples is warranted to confirm the findings. Through increased research efforts, a clearer picture of the genetic mechanisms underpinning music ability will hopefully emerge.

In this study, the robustness of an online tool for objectively assessing singing ability was examined by: (1) determining the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the tool; (2) comparing the task performance of web-based participants (n = 285) with a group (n = 52) completing the tool in a controlled laboratory setting, and then determining the convergent validity between settings, and (3) comparing participants’ task performance with previous research using similar singing tasks and populations. Results indicated that the online singing tool exhibited high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .92), and moderate-to-high test-retest reliabilities (.65–.80) across an average 4.5-year-span. Task performance for web- and laboratory-based participants (n = 82) matched on age, sex, and music training were not significantly different. Moderate-to-large correlations (|r| =.31–.59) were found between self-rated singing ability and the various singing tasks, supporting convergent validity. Finally, task performance of the web-based sample was not significantly different to previously reported findings. Overall the findings support the robustness of the online tool for objectively measuring singing pitch accuracy beyond a controlled laboratory environment and its potential application in large-scale investigations of singing and music ability.

No abstract

No abstract

Objective:Measurement of aldosterone, renin, and aldosterone-renin ratio (ARR), are used to diagnose primary aldosteronism (PA). Immunoassays used to measure plasma aldosterone yield higher results compared to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This can lead to false positive diagnosis of PA, and potential for unnecessary adrenal vein sampling. We report our development and validation of a novel test using LC-MS/MS, with reduced run time, for measurement of plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and plasma renin activity (PRA).Design and method:The detection and quantification of plasma aldosterone and angiotensin 1 (product for the calculation of renin activity) in the mass spectrometer was based on the multiple reaction monitoring of precursor to fragment ions under negative and positive ionization modes, respectively. Validation of the tests were based on the CLSI (Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute) guidelines. Concurrent measurement for 190 samples were done on our instrument, and on a commercial lab using LC-MS/MS (Mayo Laboratories, USA) for comparison.Results:Our measurements of PAC and PRA was sensitive with a limit of quantification at 3 ng/dL and 0.25 ng/ml/h, respectively, and analytical run times were 6.5 min and 3.5 min, respectively. Both aldosterone and angiotensin 1 calibration curves had excellent linearity in the ranges of 3 - 300 ng/dL and 0.25 - 25 ng/ml/h, respectively, with coefficient of correlation, r2 > 0.994. The intra and inter day accuracy of aldosterone and angiotensin 1 were in the range of 95–110% with CV of < 13%. Reference ranges were established for our local population. Compared with the other LC-MS/MS laboratory, there was good correlation for PAC, r2 = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.86 - 0.92, and PRA, r2 = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.75 - 0.86, using 190 samples. In addition, amongst those with low aldosterone < 6ng/dL, there was good agreement between both labs, with 95 of 122 (77.9%) samples having low aldosterone using both methods, which has been shown to be an ideal threshold to exclude the diagnosis of PA.Conclusions:Our laboratory has developed and validated a sensitive and accurate LC-MS/MS test for PAC and PRA with shortened run time, for the diagnosis PA.