Objective To develop a new kind of auto thermal cycling machine,which can be used to test the chronic fatigue properties of dental materials.Methods The machine was designed and manufactured,the working parameters were set according to national standards YY/T0112-93.Results After 6-months testing,the machine ran stably,the precision of working parameters was consistent and reached the national standard.Conclusion The machine can be a credible device for the testing of dental materials.

To study the expression and significance of the serine protease Omi/HtrA2 in prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. The expression of Omi/HtrA2 was assayed by means of immunohistochemical technique in 41 prostate cancer (Cap), 20 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 10 normal prostate (NP) specimens. Omi/HtrA2 expression was positive in 30 (73.17%) prostate cancer specimens, and the positive rate of Omi/HtrA2 was lower in well differentiated than in poorly and moderately differentiated groups (P＜0.05). By contrast, the cells in normal prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia groups showed no or weak expression of Omi/HtrA2.Prostate cancer cells in vivo may need Omi/HtrA2 expression for apoptosis, and that Omi/HtrA2expression might be involved in prostate cancer development.