Diving physiology in penguins has been extensively studied in the bigger, deep diving species corresponding to emperor and gentoo penguins, however the blood oxygen storage capacity of the mid-depth diving crested penguins is much less understood. For this mission, I measured the concentrations of hemoglobin and hematocrit in three species of crested penguins (Fiordland penguin/tawaki, erect-crested penguin, and Eastern rockhopper penguin) in New Zealand to match oxygen storage capability and dive depth/time. Data analysis for this project is still underway, however preliminary results counsel that the bigger erect-crested penguin has the very best hemoglobin and hematocrit values of the three suggesting a higher oxygen storage capacity within the blood and extra efficient transport of oxygen to the tissues permitting deeper or longer dives. Data from this mission was cited in New Zealand Geographic 2023 article The long run is Written in Penguin Blood (see Media tab for links). Publication of a brief observe containing these values is on deck for Notornis.
The Apple Watch Series 6 feels prefer it has perfected lots of the features I preferred about its predecessor. It has a brighter all the time-on display, a extra highly effective processor, sooner charging and two new colorful choices to select from. However the characteristic I used to be most excited to check out was its new sensor that measures oxygen saturation within the blood (aka BloodVitals SPO2) with the tap of a screen. As somebody who panic-purchased a pulse oximeter at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and nonetheless checks her levels at the first signal of a cough, the thought of having one strapped to my wrist at all times was sufficient to pique my interest. But not like the ECG characteristic on the Apple Watch, which has been tried, examined and cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, together with the irregular coronary heart rhythm notifications, BloodVitals SPO2 on the Apple Watch nonetheless seems to be in its early stages. Navigating all this new data could be daunting for anyone who's not a medical skilled.
I purchased an FDA-cleared pulse oximeter, the system doctors use to measure SpO2 in your fingertip, as a precaution when coronavirus circumstances within the US began to climb. Having low blood oxygen ranges would not guarantee you will have COVID-19, however it is considered one of the main symptoms of the disease. I had read horror tales of people who waited too long to go to the hospital and had died of their sleep as a result of they didn't understand their levels had dipped overnight. You need to at all times examine with a physician if you're experiencing shortness of breath (another symptom of COVID-19), even if a pulse oximeter says you are in a healthy vary, however I discovered consolation in realizing that I may no less than use it as a reference if I ever skilled shortness of breath. That's not something you can do with the Apple Watch -- Apple says it must be used for wellness functions only and not as a medical gadget, which means you'll need to take the outcomes with a grain of salt and should not use it to display for any kind of disease, which is what I had been hoping to get out of it.
But there could also be other advantages of having it strapped in your wrist at all times. Very similar to a pulse oximeter, the Series 6 makes use of crimson and infrared gentle from its new sensor to determine the proportion of oxygen in the blood. But instead of shining the light by means of your fingertip, it makes use of the sunshine that's mirrored back from the blood vessels in your wrist to find out your oxygen levels based mostly on the shade of your blood. During the setup process you are requested whether or BloodVitals monitor not or not you want to activate BloodVitals SPO2 monitoring, which I did, however you can all the time return and disable it within the settings after the fact. The very first thing I did after strapping on the Watch was open the Blood Oxygen app. It gives you a few tips about easy methods to get the best outcome and BloodVitals monitor it is advisable relaxation your arm on a table or flat surface whereas the Watch is taking a reading.
Then the 15-second countdown begins and you're carried out -- easy and painless. I obtained a 95% on my first read, which was decrease than what I'm used to from my pulse oximeter. Anything above 90% is mostly thought of by clinicians to be inside a healthy range, however generally, increased is best. I tested it a few more instances and obtained barely completely different results inside a couple of share points relying on whether or not I was fully nonetheless and silent throughout the check, the place I had the watch positioned on my wrist and BloodVitals monitor the way tight the strap was. There are many components that can affect a studying, such as skin temperature or the position of the sensors on the physique. Side-by-side with my pulse oximeter, the Apple Watch was often off by about one or two points, however sometimes spot on. What was extra interesting to me was the BloodVitals SPO2 knowledge that collected over time in the Health app .