and the results were shown in Figs. 2 (a), 2 (b), and 2(c), time courses of the specific growth rate , the specific ethanol productivity , and the specific substrate uptake rate by Saccharomyces cerevisiae CICC 1308 at various initial sweet sorghum stalk juice sugar concentrations. It was evident that the the specific growth rate first increased, showing a maximum, and then decreased probably because of ethanol inhibition . The other parameters also showed the same variations with time .