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The conversion of CO2 into chemicals of commercial interest is a rapidly expanding area of research. Here, we present a highly active and stable CO2 methanation catalyst that is derived from a Ru-impregnated zirconium-based metal–organic framework (MOF) material. The Ru-doped MOF is transformed, under reaction conditions, into an active catalyst which yields CO2 conversions of 96% and a CH4 selectivity of 99%. We demonstrate that the final catalyst was composed of a mixture of Ru-nanoparticles supported on monoclinic and tetragonal ZrO2 nanoparticles. Notably, such catalytic activity has only been achieved using the MOF templating strategy. Catalysts of the same composition were synthesized via different methods but were less active for CO2 methanation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare metabolic, nutritional and epidemiological data in two groups of patients, one receiving total enteral nutrition, via nasoenteric tube, and one receiving both enteral and parenteral nutrition., Design: A prospective, randomized study., Setting: A general ICU, with both medical and surgical patients, in a big regional University and National Health Service hospital., Patients: 24 patients requiring Intensive Care after major surgery or because suffering from severe head injury or major neurological impairment., Interventions: All patients initially received total parenteral nutrition: after 4 days 12 patients were "weaned" to total enteral nutrition and 12 stayed on mixed parenteral and enteral nutrition. LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS AND OBSERVATIONAL DATA: Blood levels of albumin, prealbumin, transferrin, ALT, AST, bilirubin, blood urea, blood glucose, total linfocite count, and nutritional and epidemiological data such as nitrogen balance, calorie intake, diarrhea incidence, blood and sputum cultures and radiologic evidence of pneumonia are analysed., Results: At T1, NET patients were able to reduce their nitrogen losses (0.27.1 g/kg +/-0.12 vs 0.35 +/- 0.13 at TO; p < 0.05) and improve nitrogen balance (-9 +/- 7 vs -2 +/- 6 at T0; p < 0.05); they also had a better total linfocite count (2034 +/- 304 vs. 1413 +/- 360 of the MISTA group; p < 0.05), and a lower incidence of pneumonia as documented by sputum cultures and radiograms., Conclusions: Patients fed with both parenteral and enteral nutrition did no better than those on total enteral nutrition as far as nutritional and metabolic indices were concerned; they also seemed more prone to infections than those on total enteral nutrition, indicating that mixed nutrition may result in more stable feeding, but this does not seem to have any beneficial nutritional, immunological and metabolic effect.