Diving physiology in penguins has been extensively studied within the bigger, deep diving species similar to emperor and gentoo penguins, nonetheless the blood oxygen storage capability of the mid-depth diving crested penguins is less understood. For this undertaking, I measured the concentrations of hemoglobin and painless SPO2 testing hematocrit in three species of crested penguins (Fiordland penguin/tawaki, erect-crested penguin, and Eastern rockhopper penguin) in New Zealand painless SPO2 testing to compare oxygen storage capacity and dive depth/time. Data analysis for this undertaking is still underway, however preliminary results counsel that the bigger erect-crested penguin has the best hemoglobin and hematocrit values of the three suggesting the next oxygen storage capability within the blood and more efficient transport of oxygen to the tissues permitting deeper or longer dives. Data from this undertaking 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 many of the features I favored about its predecessor. It has a brighter at all times-on show, a extra highly effective processor, quicker charging and two new colorful options to choose from. However the feature I used to be most excited to try out was its new sensor that measures oxygen saturation in the blood (aka BloodVitals SPO2) with the tap of a display screen. As somebody who panic-bought a pulse oximeter initially of the coronavirus pandemic and still checks her levels at the first sign 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 characteristic on the Apple Watch, which has been tried, painless SPO2 testing examined and cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, together with the irregular coronary heart rhythm notifications, BloodVitals SPO2 on the Apple Watch still seems to be in its early phases. Navigating all this new data may be daunting for anybody who's not a medical professional.
I purchased an FDA-cleared pulse oximeter, the machine docs use to measure SpO2 in your fingertip, as a precaution when coronavirus instances within the US began to climb. Having low blood oxygen levels doesn't guarantee you may have COVID-19, but it is one among the key symptoms of the disease. I had learn horror stories of people who waited too lengthy to go to the hospital and had died of their sleep as a result of they did not understand their levels had dipped overnight. You should always test with a physician if you're experiencing shortness of breath (one other symptom of COVID-19), even when a pulse oximeter says you are in a wholesome range, but I discovered comfort in knowing that I could a minimum of use it as a reference if I ever experienced 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 machine, that means you'll need to take the results with a grain of salt and should not use it to screen for any type of illness, which is what I had been hoping to get out of it.
But there could also be different advantages of having it strapped in your wrist at all times. Very similar to a pulse oximeter, the Series 6 uses pink and infrared gentle from its new sensor to determine the percentage of oxygen in the blood. But as an alternative of shining the light by means of your fingertip, it makes use of the light that's reflected again from the blood vessels in your wrist to find out your oxygen levels primarily based on the coloration of your blood. In the course of the setup process you're asked whether or not you wish to activate BloodVitals SPO2 monitoring, which I did, but you may all the time return and disable it in the settings after the very fact. The very first thing I did after strapping on the Watch was open the Blood Oxygen app. It offers you a few tips on the best way to get the very best outcome and you should relaxation your arm on a desk or flat surface whereas the Watch is taking a studying.
Then the 15-second countdown begins and you're done -- straightforward and painless SPO2 testing. I received a 95% on my first read, which was lower than what I'm used to from my pulse oximeter. Anything above 90% is usually considered by clinicians to be within a wholesome vary, but normally, higher is best. I examined it a few more times and got slightly different results within a few percentage points depending on whether or not I used to be utterly nonetheless and silent in the course of the take a look at, where I had the watch positioned on my wrist and painless SPO2 testing how tight the strap was. There are numerous components that may affect a reading, reminiscent of pores and skin temperature or painless SPO2 testing the position of the sensors on the body. Side-by-aspect with my pulse oximeter, the Apple Watch was typically off by about one or two points, but generally spot on. What was more interesting to me was the SpO2 information that collected over time in the Health app .