Diving physiology in penguins has been extensively studied within the bigger, deep diving species corresponding to emperor and gentoo penguins, nevertheless the blood oxygen storage capacity of the mid-depth diving crested penguins is less understood. For this project, I measured the concentrations of hemoglobin and hematocrit in three species of crested penguins (Fiordland penguin/tawaki, BloodVitals erect-crested penguin, and BloodVitals Eastern rockhopper penguin) in New Zealand to compare oxygen storage capacity and dive depth/time. Data evaluation for this venture remains to be underway, however preliminary results recommend that the larger erect-crested penguin has the very best hemoglobin and hematocrit values of the three suggesting a better oxygen storage capability 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 longer term is Written in Penguin Blood (see Media tab for links). Publication of a brief notice containing these values is on deck for Notornis.

The Apple Watch Series 6 feels prefer it has perfected most of the options I preferred about its predecessor. It has a brighter always-on show, a extra powerful processor, quicker charging and two new colorful options to choose from. But the feature I was most excited to check out was its new sensor that measures oxygen saturation within the blood (aka BloodVitals SPO2) with the faucet of a display screen. As someone who panic-purchased a pulse oximeter at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and nonetheless checks her levels at the primary sign of a cough, the thought of getting one strapped to my wrist always was sufficient to pique my interest. But not like the ECG feature on the Apple Watch, which has been tried, tested and cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, together with the irregular coronary heart rhythm notifications, SpO2 on the Apple Watch nonetheless seems to be in its early levels. Navigating all this new information could be daunting for anybody who's not a medical skilled.

I bought an FDA-cleared pulse oximeter, the machine docs use to measure SpO2 on your fingertip, as a precaution when coronavirus instances in the US started to climb. Having low blood oxygen levels would not assure you may have COVID-19, however it's one in all the most important signs of the illness. I had learn horror stories of people who waited too lengthy to go to the hospital and had died in their sleep because they did not realize their levels had dipped overnight. It's best to always verify with a physician if you are experiencing shortness of breath (one other symptom of COVID-19), even when a pulse oximeter says you're in a wholesome vary, however I found 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 are able to do with the Apple Watch -- Apple says it must be used for wellness functions solely and never as a medical machine, meaning you'll must take the outcomes with a grain of salt and should not use it to display screen for any type 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 on your wrist always. Much like a pulse oximeter, the Series 6 uses red and infrared mild from its new sensor to determine the share of oxygen within the blood. But as an alternative of shining the light through your fingertip, BloodVitals SPO2 it uses the sunshine that's mirrored again from the blood vessels in your wrist to determine your oxygen ranges based on the shade of your blood. Throughout the setup process you are asked whether or not you need to activate BloodVitals SPO2 monitoring, which I did, however you'll be able to always return and disable it within the settings after the very fact. The very first thing I did after strapping on the Watch was open the Blood Oxygen app. It provides you just a few recommendations on how to get the most effective result and you have to rest your arm on a desk or flat floor while the Watch is taking a reading.

Then the 15-second countdown begins and you are achieved -- simple and painless. I bought a 95% on my first learn, which was decrease than what I'm used to from my pulse oximeter. Anything above 90% is usually considered by clinicians to be inside a wholesome range, however normally, higher is healthier. I tested it a few extra instances and got barely totally different outcomes inside just a few proportion factors relying on whether I was completely nonetheless and silent throughout the test, the place I had the watch positioned on my wrist and how tight the strap was. There are numerous components that can affect a studying, akin to skin temperature or the position of the sensors on the body. Side-by-side with my pulse oximeter, BloodVitals the Apple Watch was usually off by about one or two points, but sometimes spot on. What was extra attention-grabbing to me was the SpO2 data that collected over time within the Health app .