Emanuel Olatunde Alaba Olanrewaju Odeku (1927-1974): First African Neurosurgeon Trained in the United States and Establisher of the National and West African Postgraduate Medical Colleges.

Background: In this comprehensive historical account, the authors delve into the remarkable trajectory of Dr. Latunde E. Odeku, a pioneering figure in neurosurgery.

Conformationally Strained -Cyclooctene with Improved Stability and Excellent Reactivity in Tetrazine Ligation.

Computation has guided the design of conformationally-strained dioxolane-fused -cyclooctene (d-TCO) derivatives that display excellent reactivity in the tetrazine ligation. A water soluble derivative of 3,6-dipyridyl--tetrazine reacts with d-TCO with a second order rate 366,000 (+/- 15,000) Ms at 25 °C in pure water. Furthermore, d-TCO derivatives can be prepared easily, are accessed through diastereoselective synthesis, and are typically crystalline bench-stable solids that are stable in aqueous solution, blood serum, or in the presence of thiols in buffered solution.