What is the meaning of "slope of ca"?

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I'm reading a paper, when this article refers to the function:

$$\beta(v)=\frac{(\frac{v}{I})^k}{1+(\frac{v}{I})^k}$$

It say that "around the $I$, $\beta$ is approximately linear in $I$, and has a slope of ca. $\bar{\beta}=\frac{k}{4I^k}$ ".

What is the meaning of this phrase? What is the meaning of ca?

Thanks.