MDS

MDS, in a medical context, most commonly refers to myelodysplastic syndromes, a group of clonal bone marrow disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and dysplasia in one or more myeloid cell lines. Patients typically present with cytopenias such as anemia, thrombocytopenia, or leukopenia. The condition is more common in older adults and carries a risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Diagnosis combines blood counts, bone marrow examination with dysplastic changes, cytogenetic analysis, and molecular testing. Prognosis is often assessed with scoring systems such as IPSS-R, which guide treatment decisions.

Multidimensional scaling (MDS) is a family of data analysis techniques that represent similarities or dissimilarities among objects as distances in a low-dimensional space. It includes metric and non-metric variants and seeks to preserve pairwise relationships, facilitating visualization and clustering. Applications span psychology, marketing, genomics, and ecology.

The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a standardized assessment instrument used in U.S. long-term care facilities to inform care planning and quality monitoring under federal programs. Version 3.0, introduced in 2010, collects functional, medical, and psychosocial information that influences reimbursement and care decisions.

Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) is a postgraduate dental degree in several countries, notably India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The program generally requires completion of a dental bachelor's degree and qualifying examinations, followed by specialty training lasting two to three years in fields such as endodontics or periodontics.

Other uses include Mission Design Specification, a planning document used in aerospace and other complex projects to outline mission objectives, requirements, and system architectures.