The acidity and alkalinity of a substance is referred to as its pH value. A neutral substance has a pH of 7, a substance with a pH above 7 is considered alkaline and a substance with a pH below 7 is considered acid. The term acidosis is used to describe a state of excess acidity in the body fluids whereby the term alkalosis describes a state of excess alkalinity.

PH stands for 'Power of Hydrogen'. Water molecules are made up of two Hydrogen atoms and one Oxygen atom (H2O). Hydrogen atoms are the smallest atoms an the universe, having only a single proton and a single electron. Hydrogen is estimated to form 90% or the matter in the universe. Living things are extremely sensitive to pH and function best (with certain exceptions, such as different portions of the digestive tract) when solutions are nearly neutral. See similar questions...

pH is a measure of the acidity ("sourness") or alkalinity ("sweetness") of soil. The scale ranges from 1 to 14, but few soils are more acidic that 5 or more alkaline than 9. A pH of 7 is perfectly neutral, but most plants grow best when the pH is a slightly acidic between 6.5. Soils in areas with low rainfall tend to be alkaline. Where rainfall is high, soils are more often acidic. This happens because rainfall gradually washes calcium from soil. See similar questions...

It is well known that the body fluids of healthy people tend to be more alkaline (high pH) and the body fluids of sick or diseased people are acidic ( low pH). Healthy blood, spinal fluid and saliva are normally at a pH of 7.4. This alkaline state is necessary for cell growth, cell function and cell repair. It has been proven that cancer cannot grow in an alkaline solution because an alkaline solution will hold oxygen at a high level (Cause and Prevention of Cancer, Biochem Zeits, 152: 514-520). See similar questions...

ODEP stands for Output Device Emulator Protection. ODEP is an analog computer simulation of the output device thermal impedance. In layman's terms ODEP stores how much power the amplifier delivers to its load and its heatsink temperature. If the protection circuit determines that the output stage is being overstressed or cannot dissipate any further heat, then output stage drive is limited (Also see the FAQ, "What is TLC?" below). See similar questions...

IBLA is the name of the ancient Baroque quarters of Ragusa - Ibla, the southernmost province of Italy in Sicily. Ragusa and Ibla are two sister cities built on two 300 m. hills. Ibla is the ancient city and Ragusa is the more modern one. The Monti Iblei that surround the area take the name from the ancient Ibla. The Mediterrenean coast line is only 18 minutes away. It overlooks the island of Malta. The closest airport is Catania Fontanarossa Airport, 2 hours away. See similar questions...

NAMI, the Nation's Voice on Mental Illness was founded in 1979 as the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "NAMI" was officially made our corporate name in 1997, after a vote of the membership. This was done after years of discussion that the full name was not person-first language and perpetuated the very stigma we hope to erase. See similar questions...

NORML is a nonprofit, public-interest lobby that for more than 30 years has provided a voice for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition. We represent the interests of the tens of millions of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly and believe the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana should no longer be a crime. See similar questions...

RIMYI is an abbreviation for Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute. Ramamani was the name of BKS Iyengar's wife. She died in 1973. See similar questions...

UMF stands for "Unique Manuka Factor", and is the trademark for the special antibacterial property found in Manuka Honey. When honey is diluted, a special enzyme the bees have added produces hydrogen peroxide, a well known antibiotic. Manuka Honey has been found to have an antibacterial activity in addition to hydrogen peroxide. No one has so far discovered the substance involved, so it is called UMF. See similar questions...

Acceleration, in physics, corresponds to the force applied to something that causes it to change its position or speed. It is the force you feel when a car accelerates from a stop sign, pushing you back into the car seat (it's a horizontal force). Similarly, when an elevator starts moving, you feel more weight on your legs (it's a vertical force). When a roller coaster car makes a hairpin turn, the acceleration may push you to the side, or up or down. See similar questions...

What does CISN stand for?TriNet is a combined seismic network involving the networks of three agencies, Caltech, the US Geological Survey in Pasadena, and the California Strong Motion Program (in the Department of Conservation's California Geological Survey). The TriNet effort was primarily supported by FEMA, through OES, as a result of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the funding ended for that in late 2000. See similar questions...

IMAO is an acronym for In My Arrogant Opinion. It's a spoof of the popular internet acronym IMHO which stands for In My Humble Opinion. See similar questions...