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Currently, the incorporation of multiple epitopes into vaccines is more desirable than the incorporation of a single antigen for universal influenza vaccine development. However, epitopes induce poor immune responses. Although the use of adjuvants can overcome this obstacle, it may raise new problems. Effective antigen delivery vehicles that can function as both antigen carriers and intrinsic adjuvants are highly desired for vaccine development. Here, we report a biepitope nanovaccine that provides complete protection in mice against H3N2 virus as well as partial protection against H1N1 virus. This vaccine (3MCD-f) consists of two conserved epitopes (matrix protein 2 ectodomain (M2e) and CDhelix), and these epitopes were presented on the surface of ferritin in a sequential tandem format. Subcutaneous immunization with 3MCD-f in the absence of adjuvant induces robust humoral and cellular immune responses. These results provide a proof of concept for the 3MCD-f nanovaccine that might be an ideal candidate for future influenza pandemics.

A polarization-insensitive, square split-ring resonator (SSRR) is simulated and experimented. By investigating the influence of the asymmetrical arm width in typical SSRRs, we find that the variation of the arm width enables a blue shift of the resonance frequency for the 0°polarized wave and a red shift of the resonance frequency for the 90°polarized wave. Thus, the resonance frequency for the 0°polarized wave and the resonance frequency for the 90°polarized wave will be identical by asymmetrically adjusting the arm width of the SSRR. Two modified, split-ring resonators (MSRRs) that are insensitive to the polarization with asymmetrical arm widths are designed, fabricated, and tested. Excellent agreement between the simulations and experiments for the MSRRs demonstrates the polarization insensitivity with asymmetrical arm widths. This work opens new opportunities for the investigation of polarization-insensitive, split-ring resonator metamaterials and will broaden the applications of split-ring resonators in various terahertz devices.

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