No one is sure yet, they are still performing tests. However they do understand there is stability involved due to the axial -OH.

An anomalism is another term for an anomaly - the state or quality of being anomalous, or the theory that language was arbitrary in its origin, with no natural analogy between names and the things being named.

Maltose is a disaccharide made of 2 glucose units. So, "α" or "β" is based on the relation between the stereochemistry of the anomeric carbon and the furthest chiral centre in the ring. The α anomer is the one in which these two positions have the same configuration; they are opposite in the β anomer.

An Epimer is a stereoisomer of another compound that varies in its configuration at only one of the chiral centres.

For example beta-D-glucopyranose and alpha-D-mannopyranose are epimers.

An anomer is also a type of epimer,it is more specifically used in sugar chemistry.It is a stereoisomer of a saccharide (in the cyclic form) that differs only in its configuration at the hemiacetal or hemiketal carbon, also called the anomeric carbon.

The linear glucose molecule could form a pyranose ring (cyclic formation) by the reaction between the aldehyde group (on C1) and the hydroxyl group (on C5).

The configuration could be either a chair form (more stable) or a boat form (less stable), as an alpha-D-glucopyranose or a beta-D-glucopyranose.