TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metallic nanowires have lengths of 5-100 mu m and diameters of 10-200 nm. The metallic nanowires comprises at least one metal comprising aluminum, copper, silver, gold, nickel, palladium, tin, platinum, lead, zinc, and/or their alloys. The metallic nanowires are present in an amount of 0.01-5 (preferably 0.2-1.5) wt.%.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The substantially transparent conductor has a sheet resistivity of 5-250 (preferably 10-250) ohms/square. The substantially transparent conductor further comprises at least a trace amount of the first solvent or a second solvent. The transparent conductor has an optical transmissivity for visible wavelengths of greater than 90%.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The composition further comprises: a second solvent different from the first solvent; and a third solvent different from the first and second solvents. The composition has a viscosity of 200-20000 (preferably 200-1000) cps at 25 degrees C. Preferred Components: The second solvent/the third solvent comprises at least one solvent comprising: water; alcohols such as propanols (including 1-propanol and 2-propanol), 1-methoxy-2-propanol, butanols (including 1-butanol and 2-butanol), pentanols (including 1-pentanol, 2-pentanol, and 3-pentanol), hexanols (including 1-hexanol, 2-hexanol, and 3-hexanol), octanols (including 1-octanol, 2-octanol, and 3-octanol), tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, cyclopentanol, and terpineol; lactones such as butyl lactone; cyclic ketones, such as cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, cycloheptanone, cyclooctanone, benzophenone, and cyclopropanone; glycols such as ethylene glycols, diethylene glycols, propylene glycols, dipropylene glycols, glycol ethers, and glycol ether acetates; glycerols such as glycerin; tetrahydrofuran; acids, including organic acids such as carboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, tricarboxylic acids, alkyl carboxylic acids, acetic acid, oxalic acid, mellitic acid, formic acid, propanoic acid, and butanoic acid; and/or bases such as ammonium hydroxide. The first solvent is present in an amount of 2-98 (preferably 4-15) wt.%. The second solvent is present in an amount of 0.2-20 (preferably 1-15 or 0.1-2) wt.%. The third solvent is present in an amount of 0.01-5 wt.%.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The first molecular weight of PVP is less than 50000 and the second molecular weight of PVP is greater than 50000. The second polymer or polymeric precursor is present in an amount of 0.75-10 or 0.5-5 wt.%. The first molecular weight of PVP is 5000-50000 and the second molecular weight of PVP is 500000-1500000. The first polymer or polymeric precursor is present in an amount of 0.5-15 (preferably 0.5-5) wt.%. The first polymer or polymeric precursor comprising PVP has a first molecular weight of greater than 50000 (preferably 500000-1500000), and substantially all of the metallic nanowires are at least partially coated with a second polymer comprising PVP having a second molecular weight of less than 50000 (preferably 5000-50000). EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.