The concept of neutrality: a new approach

Abstract

Purpose Neutrality is a much debated value in library and information science (LIS). The “neutrality debate” is characterised by opinionated discussions in contrasting contexts. The purpose of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature by bringing these conceptions together holistically, with potential to deepen understanding of LIS neutrality. Design/methodology/approach First, a literature review identified conceptions of neutrality reported in the LIS literature. Second, seven phenomenographic interviews with LIS professionals were conducted across three professional sectors. To maximise variation, each sector comprised at least one interview with a professional of five or fewer years’ experience and one with ten or more years’ experience. Third, conceptions from the literature and interviews were compared for similarities and disparities. Findings In four conceptions, each were found in the literature and interviews. In the literature, these were labelled: “favourable”, “tacit value”, “social institutions” and “value-laden profession”, whilst in interviews they were labelled: “core value”, “subservient”, “ambivalent”, and “hidden values”. The study’s main finding notes the “ambivalent” conception in interviews is not captured by a largely polarised literature, which oversimplifies neutrality’s complexity. To accommodate this complexity, it is suggested that future research should look to reconcile perceptions from either side of the “neutral non-neutral divide” through an inclusive normative framework. Originality/value This study’s value lies in its descriptive methodology, which brings LIS neutrality together in a holistic framework. This framework brings a contextual awareness to LIS neutrality lacking in previous research. This awareness has the potential to change the tone of the LIS neutrality debate.

Discovery of WD Repeat-Containing Protein 5 (WDR5)–MYC Inhibitors Using Fragment-Based Methods and Structure-Based Design

“…obtained from our HTS campaign 16 (Figure 5A and 5B) showed that merging this chemical matter may represent a viable path forward ( Figure 5C). The phenyl carboxylic acid of F2 interacts with Asn225 in a manner highly similar to the sulfonamide of 1, and provides a conformation able to access the S 4 pocket of the WBM binding site.…”

“…In addition to inhibiting MYC binding to WDR5 in the biochemical assays, these compounds can inhibit the WDR5-MYC interaction in cellular lysates. 16 However, these bi-aryl sulfonamide series have challenging physicochemical profiles. Multiple subseries of compounds (including acid, amide, and sulfone variants) exhibit very low F u , and many of the most potent examples contain multiple phenols that may be prone to glucuronidation or other metabolism.…”

“…This was demonstrated to be a key binding interaction in the previously reported series. 16 For the synthesis of these merged compounds, we decided to incorporate the phenol and the chlorine sulfonyl ring elements found on the best-in-class compounds in previous work. 16 An additional consideration when designing the merged compound was the location of the Nsubstituent of the imidazole ring.…”

“…16 For the synthesis of these merged compounds, we decided to incorporate the phenol and the chlorine sulfonyl ring elements found on the best-in-class compounds in previous work. 16 An additional consideration when designing the merged compound was the location of the Nsubstituent of the imidazole ring. The overlapped atoms ( Figure 5C) show that the amine could be placed at the position corresponding to either C-4 or C-5 of the imidazole.…”

“…A competition fluorescence polarization-based assay (FPA) was used to evaluate the ability of all analogs to disrupt the complex between WDR5 and a FITC-labeled small molecule. 16 From this, the binding affinity of the small molecule can be calculated. The synthesis of the initial merged compound 2a (Table 1) used sulfonyl chloride 17 (Scheme 1), which represents the best-in-class piece reported in our prior work.…”