Background: Few immunohematological studies have been done in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Methods: Twenty-nine MDS patients were retrospectively evaluated with a direct antiglobulin test (DAT), antibody screening, serum electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis. Clinical and laboratory studies (hemoglobin level, reticulocyte count, DHL, total and indirect bilirubin) were done simultaneously, as well as the French-American-British subtype and bone marrow biopsy findings. Results: Alloantibodies were demonstrated in 17 patients (58.6%), autoantibodies in 10 (34.4%) patients and cold agglutinin in 18 (62%) patients. DAT was mediated by only IgG in 8 patients (80%), by IgG and C3 in 1 patient (10%) and by IgG, IgA and C3 in 1 (10%) patient. No hemolytic disease occurred in patients with autoantibodies. Increased serum gammaglobulin was observed in 16 (54.4%) patients. There was no correlation between the incidence of allo-/autoantibodies and the gammaglobulin level (p = 0.937) and the presence of lymphocyte infiltrates in bone marrow biopsies (p = 0.156). No significant difference was observed when the incidence of autoantibodies and number of red blood cell transfusions were compared (p = 0.334). Patients with refractory anemia and refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts subtypes had a higher incidence of allo-/autoantibodies than other MDS subtypes (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Patients with MDS, in particular refractory anemia and refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts have a high incidence of allo- and autoantibodies, probably related to intrinsic immune disorder, without clinical or laboratory hemolysis.

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This paper reports on the modeling and on the experimental verification of electromechanically coupled beams with varying cross-sectional area for piezoelectric energy harvesting. The governing equations are formulated using the Rayleigh-Ritz method and Euler-Bernoulli assumptions. A load resistance is considered in the electrical domain for the estimate of the electric power output of each geometric configuration. The model is first verified against the analytical results for a rectangular bimorph with tip mass reported in the literature. The experimental verification of the model is also reported for a tapered bimorph cantilever with tip mass. The effects of varying cross-sectional area and tip mass on the electromechanical behavior of piezoelectric energy harvesters are also discussed. An issue related to the estimation of the optimal load resistance (that gives the maximum power output) on beam shape optimization problems is also discussed.

The design of product-service systems (PSS) requires a complete reformulation of the company's business model. A central aspect of business models is the value proposition, which is commonly created with tools such as the Value Proposition Canvas (VPC). However, problems were identified during the application of the VPC in the context of a PSS design. This work aims to create and test an initial prototype of a value proposition tool for PSS. Both tools were submitted to controlled experiments, providing an evaluation of the VPC's problems and insights for further development of the new tool.

Designing Product-Service Systems (PSS) is associated with multiple problems and challenges, usually derived from its multidisciplinarity and partially intangible nature. One particular issue is the high likelihood of ignoring the creation of relevant information regarding one or more PSS elements during the early design phases. Proceeding to later stages (e.g., detailed design) without generating the required information regarding all PSS elements and their relationships may lead to rework and lack of integration. Dealing with this problem requires adequate planning and evaluation of the artifacts (such as documents and models) created in the initial design phases. As a fundamental theoretical basis to support the creation of solutions that may help project managers dealing with this challenge, this paper presents a concept map to structure the concepts that compose artifacts resulting from the initial stages of PSS design and how those concepts interrelate. This concept map aims to structure which classes of information should be defined in the early phases of the design process before proceeding to a detailed design. The concept map was created by extracting concepts and relationships proposed in classifications, taxonomies, ontologies, meta-models, and concept maps in the PSS and servitization fields. Those documents were identified through a comprehensive systematic literature review. The resulting concept map was verified for completeness against formal documentation of two retrospective PSS design projects. The final proposed concept map is composed of 143 concepts interconnected through 278 relationships. In its current format, the concept map may be used as a checklist to support project managers in planning and evaluating early phases of PSS design based on information completeness. Researchers may also employ it to deploy ontologies, approach further knowledge and information-related challenges in PSS design, or structure PSS-related model-based systems engineering approaches. In future research, this concept map shall be deployed in a meta-model based on artifacts commonly used in PSS design, structuring a computational tool to allow and support practical application on planning and evaluating PSS design projects.