## 3 Results and Discussion
### RSM Modeling
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{\
\begin{tabular}{c} **Independent** \\ **Variables** \\ \end{tabular} } & \multirow{2}{*}{**Term**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**df \({}^{*}\)**} & \multicolumn{5}{c}{**Sum of Squares**} \\ \cline{3-8}  & & & _E. coli_ & _L. monocytogenes_ & _Salmonella_ & & \\  & & & _genes_ & & **spp.** & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Exposure Time} & Linear & 1 & 15.88 \({}^{*}\) & 38.03 \({}^{*}\) & 1.75 \({}^{*}\) & 3.89 \({}^{*}\) & 5.10 \({}^{*}\) \\  & Quadratic & 1 & 1.07 \({}^{*}\) & 0.01 & 0.19 \({}^{*}\) & 0.42 \({}^{*}\) & 0.53 \({}^{*}\) \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Osmodality} & Linear & 1 & 0.26 \({}^{*}\) & 1.67 \({}^{*}\) & 0.09 \({}^{*}\) & 0.11 \({}^{*}\) & 0.10 \({}^{*}\) \\  & Quadratic & 1 & 0.01 & 0.06 & 0.00 & 0.00 & 0.00 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Cross Product} & Time \(\times\) osmolality & 1 & 0.04 & 0.86 \({}^{*}\) & 0.01 \({}^{*}\) & 0.01 \({}^{*}\) & 0.01 \({}^{*}\) \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Error} & Residual variance & 36 & 0.50 & 1.56 & 0.024 & 0.03 & 0.03 \\  & Total sum of squares & 41 & 17.77 & 41.60 & 2.07 & 4.46 & 5.79 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{
\begin{tabular}{c} R\({}^{2}\) \\ \end{tabular} } & \multirow{2}{*}{\({}^{*}\) Degrees of freedom, \({}^{*}\) statistically significant at level of \(p<0.05\).} & \multirow{2}{*}{0.99} & \multirow{2}{*}{0.99} & \multirow{2}{*}{0.99} \\ \cline{1-1} \cline{4-4} \cline{6-6}  & & & & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: ANOVA of TSM models of selected microorganisms in molasses. of exposure time and osmolality were statistically significant in cases of the following microorganisms: _L. monocytogenes, Salmonella_ spp., Enterobacteriaceaeae, and TPC. Residual variance, which is used as a mathematical model from the experimental data deviation measure, was not statistically significant in the cases of all five tested microbial responses. This indicates that the applied models for the responses of all the tested microorganisms' numbers adequately represented the viability of these microorganisms in molasses at given exposure time and osmolality parameters. The coefficient of determination (R\({}^{2}\)) value is defined as the ratio of the described variance to the total system variance [48], and it ranged from 0.96 to 0.99, also indicating a very good correlation of the SOP models with the experimental values. Table 3 shows the regression coefficients of five second-order polynomial models for the numbers of the selected microorganisms in molasses. The statistical significance of the individual coefficients is also shown. Regression coefficients are used to complete the mathematical models of the selected microorganisms' viability in molasses, as quadratic equations. By solving these equations with the input values of the independent variables (exposure time and osmolality level), the values of desired responses (number of _E. coli_, _L. monocytogenes, Salmonella_ spp., Enterobacteriaceaeae, and TPC) can be calculated. Furthermore, the level of the selected microorganisms can be predicted in the ranges of the applied values of the independent variables, the exposure time, and the osmolality level, for which mathematical models were developed.