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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine how the rapid pace of technological change, attrition rate, global complexities and the increasing amount of data and information available have complicated the task of managing knowledge for third-party logistics (3PL) service providers. Based on literature, there is a need for research into the development of a generic taxonomy components framework (GTCF) for the implementation of knowledge management (KM) solution for 3PL service providers. Design/methodology/approach -A four-stage model has been devised for the development of a GTCF to implement KM solution for 3PL service providers. The authors proposed modified Q-sort method and also used Delphi analysis in the four-stage model. The KM components were identified through literature study and discussion with subject experts. The hierarchical structure of the taxonomy was derived and refined through a survey among 3PL experts by employing Q-sort method. Findings -This paper makes several important contributions toward the objective of better understanding the role of 3PL operations in knowledge creation. The feedback from the respondents shows that the GTCF is of potential employment by 3PL service providers irrespective of the nature of the primary service they offer.Research limitations/implications -The GTCF has been devised based on survey responses gathered from 3PL experts in India. The findings of this study have implications for understanding the key KM components required for 3PL service provider relationship and also the weightage for KM components. Practical implications -The aim of this research is for the development of a GTCF which can be taken as the base for implementation of KM solutions for 3PL service providers. Originality/value -The contribution of this study lies in extending the body of knowledge of KM for 3PL service providers. It tests a proposed framework which has only limited empirical validation, and provides a broader understanding of KM components required for 3PL service provider.

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The nef gene is conserved among members of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses and may play an important role in viral pathogenesis. To determine the evolutionary dynamics and conservation of functionality of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) nef gene during maternal-fetal transmission, we analyzed nef sequences from seven mother-infant pairs following perinatal transmission, including a mother with infected twin infants. The nef open reading frame was maintained in mother-infant isolates with a frequency of 86.2% following vertical transmission. While there was a low degree of viral heterogeneity and estimates of genetic diversity and high population growth rates of nef sequences from mother-infant isolates, the infants’ nef sequences were slightly higher with respect to these parameters compared with the mothers’ sequences. Both the mothers’ and infants’ nef sequences were under positive selection pressure, as determined by a new method of Nielsen and Yang [Genetics 148:929–936;1998]. Based on genetic distance and phylogenetic parameters, the epidemiologically linked nef sequences from mother-infant pairs were closer to each other compared with epidemiologically unlinked sequences from individuals. The functional domains essential for Nef activity, including membrane binding, CD4 and MHC-I downmodulation, T cell activation and interaction with factors of the cellular protein trafficking machinery, were conserved in most of the sequences from mother-infant pairs. The maintenance of intact nef open reading frames with conserved functional domains and a low degree of genetic variability following vertical transmission supports the notion that nef plays an important role in HIV-1 infection and replication in mothers and their perinatally infected infants.

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