Diving physiology in penguins has been extensively studied within the larger, deep diving species such as emperor and gentoo penguins, nevertheless the blood oxygen storage capability of the mid-depth diving crested penguins is 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 compare oxygen storage capability and dive depth/time. Data analysis for this challenge continues to be underway, however preliminary results suggest that the larger erect-crested penguin has the highest hemoglobin and hematocrit values of the three suggesting a higher oxygen storage capacity in the blood and more environment friendly transport of oxygen to the tissues allowing deeper or longer dives. Data from this project was cited in New Zealand Geographic 2023 article The future is Written in Penguin Blood (see Media tab for hyperlinks). Publication of a brief be aware containing these values is on deck for Notornis.
The Apple Watch Series 6 feels like it has perfected most of the options I favored about its predecessor. It has a brighter always-on show, a extra powerful processor, faster charging and two new colorful choices to choose from. But the characteristic I was most excited to try out was its new sensor BloodVitals home monitor that measures oxygen saturation in the blood (aka BloodVitals SPO2) with the tap of a display screen. As somebody who panic-purchased a pulse oximeter at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and still checks her levels at the primary signal of a cough, the thought of getting one strapped to my wrist at all times was enough to pique my interest. But unlike the ECG function on the Apple Watch, which has been tried, BloodVitals home monitor examined and cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, along with the irregular heart rhythm notifications, BloodVitals SPO2 on the Apple Watch nonetheless appears to be in its early levels. Navigating all this new data can be daunting for anybody who's not a medical skilled.
I purchased an FDA-cleared pulse oximeter, the device docs use to measure BloodVitals SPO2 on your fingertip, as a precaution when coronavirus circumstances within the US started to climb. Having low blood oxygen ranges would not assure you might have COVID-19, but it is one in all the key signs of the illness. I had learn horror stories of people that waited too lengthy to go to the hospital and had died of their sleep because they did not understand their ranges had dipped in a single day. It's best to always verify with a physician if you're experiencing shortness of breath (one other symptom of COVID-19), BloodVitals home monitor even if a pulse oximeter says you are in a wholesome range, but I found comfort in realizing that I may at the very least use it as a reference if I ever experienced shortness of breath. That's not something you are able to do with the Apple Watch -- Apple says it needs to be used for wellness functions solely and never as a medical machine, that means you'll have to take the results with a grain of salt and shouldn't use it to display screen for BloodVitals home monitor any sort of disease, which is what I had been hoping to get out of it.
But there may be different advantages of having it strapped on your wrist at all times. Much like a pulse oximeter, the Series 6 makes use of pink and infrared gentle from its new sensor BloodVitals home monitor to determine the share of oxygen in the blood. But as a substitute of shining the sunshine via your fingertip, it uses the sunshine that is reflected again from the blood vessels in your wrist to find out your oxygen levels based on the shade of your blood. During the setup course of you're requested whether or not or not you wish to activate BloodVitals SPO2 monitoring, which I did, however you possibly can all the time go back and BloodVitals home monitor disable it in the settings after the actual fact. The very first thing I did after strapping on the Watch was open the Blood Oxygen app. It gives you a couple of recommendations on learn how to get the very best end result and it's worthwhile to relaxation your arm on a table or flat floor whereas the Watch is taking a reading.
Then the 15-second countdown begins and you are performed -- easy and painless. I got a 95% on my first read, which was lower than what I'm used to from my pulse oximeter. Anything above 90% is generally considered by clinicians to be inside a wholesome range, but typically, increased is healthier. I tested it a number of more occasions and got slightly completely different outcomes inside just a few share factors depending on whether I was utterly nonetheless and silent in the course of the check, the place I had the watch positioned on my wrist and the way tight the strap was. There are numerous elements that may have an effect on a reading, equivalent to pores and skin temperature or the place of the sensors on the physique. Side-by-aspect with my pulse oximeter, the Apple Watch was typically off by about one or two factors, but typically spot on. What was more interesting to me was the BloodVitals SPO2 data that collected over time in the Health app .