Metallic silver is deposited upon the surface of a nonconducting substrate using a multi-step wet deposition process. The surface is cleaned, and then activated in an aqueous solution containing stannous tin. The silver is deposited as a colloidal material from an aqueous solution of a silver-containing salt, a reduction agent that reduces the salt to form the metallic silver, and a deposition control agent that prevents the silver from nucleating throughout the solution. After the substrate is coated, the coating is stabilized in an aqueous solution of a salt of a metal from the platinum group or gold, dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid. The process is particularly effective for depositing uniform-films of 2 to 2000 Angstroms thickness, which strongly adhere to the substrate.

A method of determining the amount of target nucleic acid in a sample which comprises the steps of: a) adding to said sample a known amount of at least two different competitor nucleic acids at different concentrations, which have at least a portion of the sequence in common with the target nucleic acid, said common sequence comprising a binding site for a complementary primer sequence, b) co-amplifying the target nucleic acid and competitor nucleic acids in the sample by an in vitro amplification reaction using at least one primer, wherein at least one of said primers comprises a region complementary to said common sequence and the amplification products carry a label or means for attaching a label, c) separation of the amplification products, d) assessing the amount of label associated with the amplification products and e) comparison of the amount of label associated with each of the amplified target nucleic acid and amplified competitor nucleic acids to assess the amount of target nucleic acid in said sample, a method of diagnosis using the assay and kits for performing the same.

A thin silver layer is deposited on the surface of a nonconducting substrate using an electroless process. The surface is cleaned and activated in aqueous solution containing stannous tin. The silver is deposited as a colloidal material from an aqueous solution of a silver-containing salt in the absence of an electric current, but in the presence of a deposition control agent. Optionally, the silver layer is stabilized with an aqueous solution of a platinum-group metal and/or gold. The resulting silver layer is uniform and of 2-2000 .ANG. thickness; it strongly adheres to the substrate.

Substances having oxytocin activity can be used for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for the curative or prophylactic treatment of wounds, such as chronic wounds. The wound healing effect can be strengthened or prolonged by combining oxytocin with estrogen.

Metallic silver is deposited upon the surface of a nonconducting substrate using a multi-step wet deposition process. The surface is cleaned, and then activated in an aqueous solution containing stannous tin. The silver is deposited as a colloidal material from an aqueous solution of a silver-containing salt, a reduction agent that reduces the salt to form the metallic silver, and a deposition control agent that prevents the silver from nucleating throughout the solution. After the substrate is coated, the coating is stabilized in an aqueous solution of a salt of a metal from the platinum group of gold, dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid. The process is particularly effective for depositing uniform films of 2 to 2000 Angstroms thickness, which strongly adhere to the substrate.

Metallic silver is deposited upon the surface of a nonconducting substrate using a multi-step wet deposition process. The surface is cleaned, and then activated in an aqueous solution containing stannous tin. The silver is deposited as a colloidal material from an aqueous solution of a silver-containing salt, a reduction agent that reduces the salt to form the metallic silver, and a deposition control agent that prevents the silver from nucleating throughout the solution. After the substrate is coated, the coating is stabilized in an aqueous solution of a salt of a metal from the platinum group or gold, dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid. The process is particularly effective for depositing uniform films of 2 to 2000 Angstroms thickness, which strongly adhere to the substrate.