Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast is a rare heterogeneous malignancy, accounting for <1% of all invasive breast carcinomas, in which adenocarcinoma is found to coexist with an admixture of spindle, squamous, chondroid or bone-forming neoplastic cells. Metaplastic breast carcinoma composed of both epithelial and melanocytic elements is rare, and only seven cases have been reported so far. Reported herein is the case of a 38-year-old woman with a nodular mass in her left breast suspicious of malignancy, discovered during routine ultrasound examination. After histological and immunohistochemical examination of the resected tumor mass, initial diagnosis was collision tumor: ductal invasive carcinoma and metastatic melanoma. The patient underwent quadrantectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. At 6 years follow up the patient was alive and healthy, without local recurrence or metastases. After revising slides and the literature, in addition to patient follow up, it was concluded that this case represents metaplastic carcinoma with melanocytic differentiation.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics of the relationships between sales and internal and external environmental drivers in a retail company using a systems perspective in order to support retail management decisions with nonlinear methods. Design/methodology/approach The research and results are presented in two parts: the collection and explorative analysis of the data; and discussion of the managerial implications following a systems perspective. The exploratory analysis is conducted using a statistical comparison of linear and nonlinear models of sales data from a retail company. The data, which comprise two data sets, come from 45 retail stores located in different regions of the USA. Findings Specifically, nonlinear models provided a better explanation of variation in retail activity (R2=46 per cent) than linear models (R2=16 per cent). In such a situation, the nonlinear analysis captures the influence of internal and external environmental drivers on retail sales. Research limitations/implications With a limited variety of external and internal drivers, the exploratory analysis aims to describe a general situation in which retailers are managing activities in complex environments as opposed to reflect on a particular retail chain. Practical implications The systems perspective is used to interpret the managerial implications of the nonlinear analysis fits, particularly in cases where retail decision-makers are adapting, transforming and restructuring sources of competitive advantage in complex environments. Originality/value The paper provides an alternative perspective (the systemic one) of how retailers could interpret the relationships between internal and external variables in the dynamic environment of the retail chains with nonlinear models.

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The aim of this chapter is to analyze the most relevant factors affecting retailers by investigating the relationships between store type, assortment level, customers' purchases, and sales productivity. Analyzing the dataset of the German retailer Rossmann through classification and regression tools, this work investigates what store type customers visit more often, what kind of assortment they prefer, and how sales profitability is affected by internal and external factors. Results show a tendency from customers to shop in smaller neighborhood markets rather than in the large shopping centers with extensive assortments, determining an increase in sales productivity in smaller size stores. Results suggest managers developing strategies for creating multiple retail formats in order to meet the diverse customers' tendencies in the today's market.