MDSs

MDSs is an acronym that can refer to several terms, depending on the discipline. The two most common meanings are myelodysplastic syndromes, a group of clonal bone marrow disorders, and multidimensional scaling, a set of statistical techniques for visualizing high-dimensional data.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are clonal hematopoietic disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, dysplastic marrow cells, cytopenias, and a risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Diagnosis combines blood tests, bone marrow morphology, and cytogenetic or molecular studies; WHO and IPSS/IPSS‑R risk stratification guides management. Symptoms include fatigue, infections, bleeding, and pallor. Treatments depend on risk: supportive care (transfusions, iron chelation), hypomethylating agents, immunosuppressive therapy for select cases, and allogeneic stem cell transplantation for eligible patients. Prognosis ranges from indolent to high risk and is influenced by age, cytogenetics, and response to therapy.

Multidimensional scaling (MDSs) is a family of methods that maps high-dimensional data to a lower dimension while preserving distance relationships. Classical (metric) and non-metric MDS differ in assumptions about distances. The result is typically a scatter plot reflecting similarities or dissimilarities. Uses include visualization and exploration in psychology, marketing, genomics, and ecology. The workflow usually involves computing a distance matrix, solving an eigenvalue problem, and assessing fit with stress or related criteria.