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Mask-wearing is one of the most common transmission prevention behaviors (TPB) recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2020). During COVID-19, the CDC guideline to wear masks in public was essential to stop the spread of the virus. Although COVID-19 is no longer an imminent threat, mask-wearing is still a necessary measure for protecting employees’ and consumers’ health in public settings, such as hospitals and medical centers (Nichol et al., 2008) and under certain environmental circumstances such as air pollution. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of prompts and reduced response effort on mask-wearing behavior of family-owned butcher shop customers in Israel during COVID-19. When prompts and reduced response effort were introduced, mask-wearing compliance increased; however, when the reduced response effort component was removed (i.e., prompt-only condition), compliance decreased. These results highlight the importance of making masks readily available to promote behavioral change. Although the current study was conducted in a specific setting, the findings provide valuable insights for implementing evidence-based strategies for promoting TPBs in diverse settings (e.g., medical centers and hospitals) to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases and protect public health. Further research is needed to assess the generalizability and effectiveness of the intervention across various populations, contexts, and cultures. Implications and limitations are discussed.

The ATP/GTP-Binding Protein 1 (AGTPBP1) gene (OMIM *606830) catalyzes deglutamylation of polyglutamylated proteins, and its deficiency manifests by cerebellar ataxia and peripheral neuropathy in mice and lower motor neuron-like disease in sheep. In the mutant mice, cerebellar atrophy due to Purkinje cell degeneration is observed, likely due to increased tubulin polyglutamylation in affected brain areas. We report two unrelated individuals who presented with early onset cerebellar atrophy, developmental arrest with progressive muscle weakness, and feeding and respiratory difficulties, accompanied by severe motor neuronopathy. Whole exome sequencing followed by segregation analysis in the families and cDNA studies revealed deleterious biallelic variants in the AGTPBP1gene. We conclude that complete loss-of-function of AGTPBP1 in humans, just like in mice and sheep, is associated with cerebellar and motor neuron disease, reminiscent of Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia Type 1 (PCH1).

The transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) signaling pathway is essential for palatogenesis and retinal development. Glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP), encoded by LRRC32, is a TGFβ cell surface receptor that has been studied primarily in the context of cellular immunity. We identified a homozygous stop-gain variant in LRRC32(c.1630C>T; p.(Arg544Ter)) in two families with developmental delay, cleft palate, and proliferative retinopathy. Garp-null mice have palate defects and die within 24 h after birth. Our study establishes LRRC32as a candidate disease-associated gene in humans and lends further support to the role of the TGFβ pathway in palatogenesis and retinal development.