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C. Diff In 30 Minutes updated

C. Diff In 30 Minutes update covers new FDA antibiotic treatment and stool transfers

By News

C. Diff In 30 Minutes updatedNewton, Mass. – Publisher i30 Media has released the second edition of C. Diff In 30 Minutes: A guide to Clostridium difficile for patients and families (ISBN: 978-1-64188-078-7) by author, doctor, and Harvard Medical School Professor J. Thomas Lamont, M.D. The C. diff book uses plain-English explanations and case studies to describe this unpleasant bacterial infection and modern disease management options, including new FDA-approved treatments.

Clostridium difficile is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections in the United States. The C. diff superbug is a bacteria like E coli, and infects hundreds of thousands of people every year in the United States. This infection is particularly severe in older individuals who are hospitalized with other serious medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer, heart failure, kidney disease, and prior organ transplants and are treated with antibiotics which are a major risk factor for C diff. 

One of the world’s top experts on C. diff, Lamont has conducted ground-breaking research on the bacterium and has helped thousands of patients struggling with C. diff symptoms. He notes that much has changed in recent years, including the introduction of more effective treatments. 

“Since I wrote the first edition of the book nearly a decade ago, a number of important discoveries have improved our management of C. diff,” Lamont said, pointing to several new C. diff treatments approved by the FDA. “An antibiotic called Dificid or fidaxomicin is now widely available by prescription and is being used as an effective treatment for C. difficile. Another advance is the development of a monoclonal antibody called Zinplava which is administered intravenously to patients with acute or recurrent C. difficile.”

C. Diff In 30 Minutes also discusses an evolving treatment known as fecal microbial transplant (FMT), also known as stool transfers. The process has been streamlined and no longer requires a family member to donate stool, Lamont says. 

Other topics covered in the book include:

  • The origins of C. diff
  • C. diff symptoms
  • Four C. diff cases, from infection to recovery
  • Antibiotics that can lead to C. diff infections
  • C. diff management, including antibiotics
  • How to limit the spread of C. diff
  • Recurring C. diff
  • A glossary of medical terms

C. Diff In 30 Minutes is not a DIY guide. A doctor is needed to diagnose C. diff and help patients manage the infection. However, this book can help patients and family members understand what their doctors, gastroenterologists, or infectious disease specialists are recommending and why. 

More information about C. Diff In 30 Minutes as well as online ordering options can be found on the companion website, cdiff.in30minutes.com. The paperback retail price is $14.99 while the ebook edition is available on the Amazon Kindle and other devices for $9.99.

About the author

J. Thomas Lamont, M.D. received his medical degree in 1965 from the University of Rochester, and was intern, resident and chief resident in medicine at UCLA. Following a GI Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, he joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School in 1974. He currently is Emeritus Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

About In 30 Minutes guides

i30 Media is the publisher of In 30 Minutes guides – “Quick guides for a complex world.” Thousands of readers turn to In 30 Minutes guides to understand mildly complex topics, ranging from genealogy to software. The tone is friendly and easy to understand, with step-by-step instructions and lots of examples. Top-selling titles include Google Drive & Docs In 30 Minutes, Twitter In 30 Minutes, and LinkedIn In 30 Minutes. For more information about the series, visit in30minutes.com

PUBLISHER CONTACT: info@in30minutes.com, +1 (617) 213-0811

Third edition of Microsoft Word In 30 Minutes covers Microsoft 365 and online changes

By News

New MS Word bookPublisher i30 Media today released a third edition of Microsoft Word In 30 Minutes (ISBN: 978-1-64188-065-7) covering Word for Microsoft 365 as well as Word for the Web.

“Word is one of Microsoft’s primary products, used by hundreds of millions of people across the globe,” i30 Media founder Ian Lamont said. “It was time for an update, considering the new Microsoft 365 rebranding and features.”

The revised and updated third edition of Microsoft Word In 30 Minutes follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, explaining Microsoft’s flagship writing tool in author Angela Rose’s friendly, easy-to-understand manner. It covers the commonly used features of Word for Microsoft 365 for both Windows and Mac users, as well as Word for the Web (formerly Word Online), a free browser-based version of the software.

“Word for the Web used to be a pretty rudimentary tool for writing,” Lamont said. “But a lot has changed since the last edition, with more features to compete with Google Docs.”

For the desktop version of Word for Microsoft 365, changes include a different way of checking spelling and grammar, as well as a new interface for digital ink tools for drawing on tablets. Other topics covered in the new third edition include:

  • Microsoft 365 subscriptions and OneDrive
  • Working with .docx, .doc, .txt, PDF, and other file formats in Word for Microsoft 365 and Word Online
  • Locating recovered files
  • Printing documents, envelopes, and labels
  • How to format Word documents using styles, themes, and style sets
  • Creating Word documents with professional-quality templates
  • Adding images, video, hyperlinks, and drawings
  • How to automatically create a table of contents in Word
  • Adding footnotes, endnotes, citations, a bibliography, and an index
  • Word spelling, tracking, and other reviewing tools
  • Collaboration tools, from comments to live collaboration
  • Microsoft Word security features

Lamont said while it’s still possible to purchase a standalone copy of Microsoft Office for the desktop (Office 2021), many users prefer the convenience of a Microsoft 365 subscription. This not only allows access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other applications on multiple devices, but also enables easier security and feature updates.

Early Reviews

Early reviewers have offered wide-ranging praise for the new edition of the Microsoft guide:

“The book is short, but information dense. Chapters are arranged thematically: interface basics, creating saving & printing, formatting layout & design, inserting images tables & other elements, and review & collaboration. The subchapters contain step by step screenshots and directions to understand and utilize specific techniques…. The author has also included appendices with universal shortcuts and system specific shortcuts for Windows and macOS. I wish I’d had this handbook when I wrote my thesis; it would have saved me some frustration and tears.” – Annie B., NetGalley

“Microsoft Word In 30 Minutes (3rd Edition) is the perfect guidebook for anyone who wants to up their professional document-writing game. I can see this being the perfect gift for anyone from the elderly person who has never used Microsoft Word before to the college student who knows the basic features but wants to learn more. One highlight of this book are the many, many screenshots that show you exactly what to click. It is very helpful for those of us who are visual learners.” – Leighton S., NetGalley

More information about Microsoft Word In 30 Minutes, Third Edition as well as online ordering options can be found on the companion website, word.in30minutes.com. The site also includes blog posts, videos, and other resources for readers. The paperback retail price is $13.99, while the ebook edition is available on the Amazon Kindle and other devices for $8.99. A hardcover edition costs $21.99.

About the author

Angela Rose is a writer and B2C marketing strategist based in Colorado. When she’s not removing cats from her keyboard, you can find Angela searching for the perfect taco, running 5Ks, whipping up original pastry recipes, and hiking the Colorado Mountains with her photographer husband. Angela is also the author of the award-winning LinkedIn In 30 Minutes (2nd Edition).

About In 30 Minutes guides

i30 Media is the publisher of IN 30 MINUTES guides – “Quick guides for a complex world.” Thousands of readers turn to IN 30 MINUTES guides to understand mildly complex topics, ranging from home-buying to social media. The tone is friendly and easy to understand, with step-by-step instructions and lots of examples. The series has won multiple awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association and Foreword Reviews. Top-selling titles include Google Drive & Docs In 30 Minutes, Twitter In 30 Minutes, and LinkedIn In 30 Minutes. For more information about the series, visit in30minutes.com.

 

Silver Ben Franklin award for thyroid cancer book

By News

Last week, Thyroid Cancer & Thyroid Nodules In 30 Minutes by Per-Olof Hasselgren, MD, PhD., received a silver Ben Franklin award for excellence in publishing from the Independent Book Publishers Association.

It was a crowded field. According to IBPA, there were approximately 1,800 submissions this year across 56 categories. Thyroid Cancer & Thyroid Nodules In 30 Minutes was one of only three winners in the health category. Kirkus Indies described the book as a “thorough, informative resource that never overwhelms” and noted the background of the author:

Hasselgren, a teacher of endocrine surgery with 45 years spent in the operating room, offers readers a wealth of information, including detailed walk-throughs of treatment procedures, including the total thyroidectomy, lobectomy, isthmusectomy, and lymph node surgery along with possible complications and necessary precautions. A detailed glossary (with a helpful expansion online) and index make the resource easy to revisit for specifics.

More information about Thyroid Cancer & Thyroid Nodules In 30 Minutes and the author can be found on the official book website.

Dragging and dropping files in Google Drive to the desktop

By Blog
I had a great question from a reader of Google Drive & Docs In 30 Minutes and dragging and dropping files in Google Workspace. The reader asked:
I recently purchased a Chromebook in a move to replace my Dell Laptop using Microsoft Office. I’m in the process of going through your guide and hopefully it will help me understand the use of the Google software and some structure of the Chrome OS. My biggest hangup right now is understanding when I’m working on this computer and when I’m actually working in the cloud. I wish they labeled the Drive and My Files differently to give me that feeling where I’m at and using their software. I’m used to manipulating files, dragging and dropping, making new folders, bringing in new files via USB and email attachments, and I see that does not work in every instance here (drag/drop). It is not the feel that I’ve had for years (C: A: D: E: drives) knowing where I’m working.
I totally understand where this reader is coming from. I, too, grew up with the concept of “C drives” or “Documents” folders on desktop operating systems.
Google does things differently with Google Drive and other applications in Google Workspace. The diagram below explains the basic idea.
Google Drive concept diagram
In most cases, the document you are working on is stored in Google’s cloud and is updated (via a live Internet or mobile connection) as you make changes or type. Another thing you may have noticed is larger files will take a long time to load, which is caused by the document being downloaded over the Internet. Or, if you paste in a large image, it will take a few seconds as the image is uploaded to Google and rendered in the document.
The desktop file system doesn’t really work the same way. Google Drive does have offline storage for desktop computers, which allows you to drag and drop files from different locations using File Explorer/Finder, but I have found it is buggy or imperfect on both Windows and macOS. For this reason, I use Dropbox for cloud syncing of many types of non-Google files, which works better on my desktops than Google Drive or OneDrive.
It’s worth noting that Chromebooks work differently, in that they were not designed for local file storage at all – Google really wants to you to think of the documents as living in the cloud, and not deal with downloading anything (you can do it, but it’s a pain).